The Cove of Secrets
by Salienne de Lioncourt
Summary: Sequel to “AGoL” 4 years have passed, and Leah and Jack have two kids, John and Claire. When these two are kidnapped, Leah and Jack are swept into the secrets of Jack’s past. For you see, some treasures even a pirate should never seek...
1. A Supposedly Safe Haven

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Pirates, yada yada yada, Will and Elizabeth are their own, as is Norrington, etc. etc… All OC's are strictly MINE, MY OWN, MY PRECIOUSSSSSSS, etc. etc… And I have Jack in my closet, bought him fair and square but I suspect that I shall be lettin' 'im out every once in a while if he behaves, savvy?

**Summary**: *Sequel to "A Glimmer of Light"* Four years have passed, and Leah and Jack have two kids, John and Claire. When these two are kidnapped, Leah and Jack are swept into the secrets of Jack's past. For you see, some treasures even a pirate should never seek...

**A/N1**: It's finally here, mates! The sequel! XD *Crowd goes wild* Now, before we go any further, I must say this: firstly, this is a SEQUEL. In other words, though you will get the gist of what's happening and most likely enjoy it, you won't have the full story and will not know _how_ Leah and Jack met/got together/etc….. BUT, there will be _many_ flashbacks in this fic. The four years that have passed cannot remain an empty hole in their lives, eh? For those of you who don't like that kinda stuffs, I'll put a warning up at the start of every chappie with one, but if it's vital to the fic, I'll tell ye. Also, the flashbacks will clue you in on some info by which you might not NEED to read the first one, though it is strongly recommended/appreciated. ;-) So, with that in mind… ENJOY!!!

**A/N2:** And before I go any further THIS TIME, I would like to thank my dear muse Fred, for without her, this would not be at all possible. (Please don't ask me what her full name is… she'd get VERY upset with me if I gave that out. -_-). Yes, my dear muse… who gives me inspiration at 11 pm on a school night right when _mon pere_ needs the pc… And for that, I thank you, Fred! -_- 

Fred: *glares in warning*

Me: ……Hush.

Fred: *more warning glare*

Me: *feels inspiration waning*…. YES, I LOVE YOU FRED! NOPE, YOU HAVE THE BEST TIMING! *inspiration comes back*………………… I hate you…

Fred: You love me. XD

Me: -_-

            ***Special thanks to **Kirie**, **Pendragon**, and **Kizume** for betaing!

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            It was a calm day on the Caribbean. No, make that a beautiful, almost perfect, day. A clear blue sky with just enough clouds to keep the main glare of the sun at bay, a good breeze just right for a ship. On board a particularly small boat, just off the coast of Port Royale, were two people taking full advantage of the fine conditions. There was a female, a 5'4" brunette with her hair up in a messy bun, two tiny braids with interwoven lace coming off of the right side of her head, three beads at the ends of each, one braid on the opposite side. Her loose white long-sleeved cotton shirt and faded woven verdant breeches appeared comfortable, and the belt she kept tight about her waist really served two purposes: holding her "effects" as Jack would so eloquently put it, such as sword and pistol, and simultaneously making sure that her shirt did not accidentally fly up. A 5'10" male stood before her, his hair… unique to say the least. Utterly black, it went just past his shoulders, though there were various implements in place to somehow keep it from getting in his way. Dreadlocks galore, minute braids, and even strands completely coated by beads and trinkets. A red bandanna kept some of it at bay, but the hair that came out from over the top of it in the back was woven into a braid with some of the hair underneath, all tied tightly together with a cord. Strands of raven hair that could somehow easily get into his face were also either tucked back underneath his bandanna, or interwoven or braided with those further back… for the most part at least. In his own blue breeches, loose white cotton shirt with the low neckline, thin vest, and three-cornered hat, it was a shock he wasn't dying of heatstroke in the long coat he wore. His compass, sword, and pistol all safe in their respective places, he was taking a close look at the port they were fast approaching through one thickly kohled eye. They had been due back in Port Royale three days ago, and there was no doubt that a certain Mr. And Mrs. Turner were awaiting their arrival anxiously, wondering if anything had happened to them. You would expect the spirits of these two pirates, for pirates they were, to be as high as spirits can possibly be without actually leaving the body, wouldn't you? For some strange reason, though, their spirits were plummeting… and fast.

"Jack," Leah asked, a tremor in her voice. "Jack, what do you see?" Something was just not right… He had been looking at Port Royale through that spyglass of his for far too long now… at least far too long by her standards. As he was facing away from her, she couldn't see his face, but if she could have, the expression on his finely sculpted, sun bleached, bearded, and mustached face would not have helped matters much, either. 

The two of them had left their two children, 2-year-old John and 3-year-old Claire (technically not Leah's, but still loved by her as her own), with Elizabeth and Will Turner, a couple with a toddler of their own: Thomas. So, all in all, Leah really didn't want to hear that something was wrong.

Slowly, Jack lowered the spyglass. "Something's wrong, luv."

"What?!"

"Come on, let's steer this boat in," he said, putting the spyglass away and moving past her, over to the mast. Instinctively, Leah grabbed his arm, him turning to face her with his heavily kohled eyes in response. 

"But, Jack, if something's wrong…"

"Darling, we've already been spotted. And even if we hadn't been, it would be near impossible to sneak into the port at which stands Fort Charles undetected. There's no back way in."

"Jack… what's happened? What did you see?"

"The place it utterly locked up, Leah. The dear Commodore's ships are patrolling the harbor right now, and if there's been an attack, the best way to learn about it would be to get caught. On that ship." With his right hand, Jack made a pointing motion to the large vessel clearly visible against the horizon.

~*~*~*~

And, soon enough, Captain Jack Sparrow was, once again, a prisoner aboard an English ship from Port Royale, though this time, it was the Defender, not the Dauntless, and this time, Leah Sparrow was a prisoner right along with him. News of their marriage had, well, spread, as had her reputation. Leah now had a little legend of her own now, something about a "kiss of death" that actually was, for the most part, absolutely true, and the fact that she was coupled with the infamous Jack Sparrow only made it that much more… juicy as a gossip topic, to put it mildly. Really, it was her own fault that she was so bloody well known now, but she could not say she regretted it, even if it must have caused severe public ignominy for her father. He had publicly disowned her in an attempt to save face and in "anger" over her decision, after all, though that "anger" had soon faded, leaving a small trace of disappointment-but also happiness over the fact that his daughter was truly content for once in her life-in its wake.

But, as Leah stood on the deck of the Defender, she began to wonder… were they prisoners?

"Mr. Sparrow, Miss Swann," Gillette said stiffly, greeting both Jack and Leah in turn. Apparently, he refused to acknowledge the fact that the Governor's daughter had married… a pirate. Jack Sparrow at that. Interesting.

"Gillette," Leah said, nodding. She felt a tad bit guilty for not remembering just what rank he was, and consequently having left it out… But, in the main, she really could not have cared any less.

"Wonderful seeing you again, mate," was Jack's idea of a pleasant "hello". 

Gillette gave Jack a "look", to put it mildly, but overall, really just ignored his remark. Facing Leah only, he spoke. "We've been awaiting your arrival."

The brunette-though her hair was so bleached by the sun now that it appeared to be either a spectacularly light shade of brown with blond highlights throughout, or simply dirty blond-cocked an eyebrow at this. "You have?"

"Yes."

"And why would that be?" Jack questioned. He was actually a tad bit surprised that the both of them weren't being put in irons. Well… him, at least.

"The Commodore wants you to brought in as soon as possible. You're wanted at the Governor's home, no matter how much I may disagree with it."

"But… why?" demanded Leah, completely disregarding that second comment.

"You'd have to ask the Commodore, Miss. I couldn't say."

"And why not?"

"Because I've been ordered not to. Besides, you will be informed soon enough."

"I'm sure we will," Jack agreed.

"Bloody hell…" Leah muttered under her breath as Gillette walked away, shouting orders.

~*~*~*~

Not very long after, Leah and Jack Sparrow found themselves in the governor's mansion, and in the parlor, of all places. This was certainly a room… that Leah never wanted to see again, having attended far too many "pleasant gatherings" within its walls, and Jack… well, he had never been in it before. The fine painting of a beautiful nature scene on the far wall, a chandelier on the ceiling, and large glass windows through which sunlight streamed certainly added something of grandeur to the place. Instinctively, Jack began making plans on how best to swipe that painting, those golden candlesticks he'd seen on the way in… 

Nonetheless, regardless of Jack's… tendencies, the room was perfect, just private and large enough to fit in the necessary persons for these particular… circumstances without problem, not that Leah or Jack knew what those circumstances were, of course.

"Elizabeth," Leah let out happily, moving forward with a smile, her troubles temporarily forgotten as she saw her sister again. On a plush couch to the right sat Elizabeth and Will, right next to each other and holding hands. The female Turner seemed to be a bit worse for the wear, and Will seemed to be trying hard to be strong for his beloved wife. In the background stood two sets of guards, and off to the left were the Commodore and, naturally, Leah's father, the Governor, apparently deep in conversation with said military man. The moment Leah and Jack entered the room, escorted by four more redcoats, a hush fell on the room, and all eyes were trained on them.

"Leah," Elizabeth smiled, getting up immediately and moving forward to greet her sister. Behind her, Will stood, but did not move from that spot. The two met some five paces from the door, grasping each other by the arms as they exchanged a silent hello with their eyes, Elizabeth's brown and Leah's gray-green. But… Leah could easily tell something was wrong, just by Elizabeth's expression, a sort of bittersweet smile… not to mention Gillette's warm reception. "Liz… what's wrong?"

"Leah…"

Commodore James Norrington found this to be the perfect opportunity to speak himself. "Sparrow, Miss Swann," he said in greeting, stepping forward with his hands held together rigidly behind his back. For the love of hell, was no one willing to acknowledge her marriage? True, she hadn't exactly had her father's consent, nor did he know of it at the time… but now, it was a well-known fact, and a Priest had done it… in a Church… There had been witnesses.

"That would be Mrs. Sparrow, mate," Jack corrected, standing slightly behind Leah and off to her left. Leah didn't know whether to hug him, kiss him, or smack him, though a smile did creep to her lips.

"Yes," Norrington smiled mirthlessly.

"That will not be brought up in this household," Governor Swann stated matter-of-factly, facing his daughter as well. Leah simply rolled her eyes, said nothing. He would never be able to accept it. But at the moment, she didn't feel like arguing the point. There was obviously something far more urgent afoot. 

"All right, obviously, something of import has happened, else me an' me lovely wife would be on our way to the gallows by now, eh?" Jack said at last, pointing out the obvious. Really, if it took him this long to ascertain just what had happened, there would be no time to do anything about it. The fact that there was no possible way that the Governor would let his own daughter be hung was largely ignored by all following that little statement.

"Two days ago, Port Royale was attacked," the Commodore said matter-of-factly.

"Attacked…" Leah echoed, her hands slowly falling away from her sister and to her sides. Three days ago, that was when Leah and Jack had been due back. They had been due back before the attack. If anything had happened… Leah could never forgive herself. 

Elizabeth turned slightly to face Norrington as he spoke, Will coming up beside her.

"Yes, and in great force. We were only able to repel them… after it was too late."

"Too late?" Leah gulped, but the Commodore went on. 

"We…were wondering if either of you had heard of it before. Witnesses call her the Beaten Bride." Inwardly, Leah cringed at the name, as would any even remotely civilized person, but outwardly, no sign of her disgust showed. It wouldn't. Too etched already was worry on her mien. 

Gradually, all eyes turned to Jack, who had apparently been staring off into some far-off space before him, deep in thought.

"Jack…" Leah said softly, calling the man back to reality.

"Hmmm? Ah, never heard of it, mate," Jack informed Norrington. After eying him suspiciously for a moment, Leah turned her smoky gray eyes back to the Commodore, but it was not him who spoke next. It was Will.

"They… were after something, Jack, Leah. And they found what they were seeking."

"What… what were they after?" Leah breathed, knowing in her heart exactly what this "something" was, but refusing to admit it. Then, before anyone could reply, she turned to her sister, the beads clacking together with the speed of her head careening about. "Elizabeth… where are John and Claire? Where are my children?" They could all hear the panic sneaking into her voice. Her flesh, having barely tanned in the sun, was blanched well past its natural pale coloring by now, and there was a bitter, nauseous feeling in the back of her throat.

After a few tense, awkward moments of silence had passed, Leah could feel a comforting hand on her shoulder, a hand obviously belonging to none other than Captain Jack Sparrow, and although it did give her some comfort… it was nowhere near enough. Her children… The children of her and Jack…

Governor Swann very hesitantly began to speak. "Leah, I'm sorry. I'm afraid they…"

"They took John and Claire, Leah," Elizabeth finished softly.

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**A/N**: And _that_, ladies and gent's, is the first chappie of this here fic. Review and tell me what y'all think, eh? Special individual replies will go down here for all of ye KIND KIND WONDERFUL REVIEWERS! And now, for a limited time only… JACK T-SHIRTS FROM HOT TOPIC FOR ALL REVIEWERS! XD


	2. The Kidnapping

**A/N**: Guys, I'm sorry, I realize this has taken me an _eternity_ to write, but life has just been very… hectic. There we go, that's a good word. And "blah" would suffice as well, I would think. This is _not_ to excuse the delay, but to show you guys that I'm not purposely abandoning y'all! :-P Ah yes, and Will and Liz are bloody near _impossible_ to write unless you watch the movie over and over while writing them (at least for me), so that was another factor… Tell me what you think, eh? Personalities and all.

**A/N2**: Wowzers! SO MANY REVIEWS!!!! *head spins* *Gives out cheezits and the movie "The Road to El Dorado" to everyone… ah yes, and the promised T-Shirts, as well. ;-)*

                                                *****Special thanks to Kizume for betaing!**

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"They _what_?" Leah gulped, her heart a thundering in her ears.

"Leah, I'm sorry, there was nothing-"

"Just, just give me a moment to absorb this, Will," she said softly, her head swimming. How…. _How_…? Almost unconsciously, she grasped Jack's hand, still on her shoulder, and felt herself backing into his comforting embrace, his arms wrapped around her front.

"Leah, Jack, I'm so sorry," Elizabeth said fervently, "It was completely my fault. If I hadn't-"

"It _wasn't_ your fault," Will argued with equal passion.

"It doesn't matter _whose_ fault it is, does it?" Jack interrupted. "What matters is, what exactly happened?"

And that was when, with "contributions" from Will, Elizabeth, Commodore Norrington, and even Governor Swann-but mainly Elizabeth-that the truth came out.

~*~*~*~*

It was a fairly clear night. A few clouds, a few stars covered here and there, a moon not-quite full. Leah and Jack had already been expected for a day, and though all parties were used to the two of them showing up late, it still managed to worry Will, Elizabeth, and the good ol' Governor of Port Royale. To take their minds off of matters, Elizabeth stayed up later than usual with Thomas, and Claire and John as well, of course, and Will worked late at the smithy… When Port Royale was attacked that night, the two of them were just getting ready for bed, Will still in his blacksmith's garb, even, Elizabeth already in her nightgown. The first shot from a cannon, though, that caused them both to stop whatever it was they were doing and freeze. The same thought entered their minds at the very same instant: the _Black Pearl_. But, no, Jack would never do this… and even if, _somehow_, he _did_ get the notion into his head… Leah would never let him.

"Elizabeth, you stay here. I'll be back," was the first thing out of Will's mouth the moment he'd recovered from the shock of hearing canon fire. He then moved for the door, but Elizabeth, stopped him, grabbing his arm.

"Will, you cannot go out there alone. If you're going, I'm going."

"Elizabeth…" Taking her head into his hands, Will looked deep into his beloved eyes, their faces mere inches apart. "Please, stay in here where it's safe. For me. I swear I'll be back."

After a long pause, she nodded. "All right… but if you don't come back, Will, I'm coming after you. I _swear_ that. So get _back_ here."

"I will. I promise," was his reply, and after exchanging a lingering kiss, Will left the room to, of course, play the hero and fight off any pirates that might have come ashore and were terrorizing the citizens of the port. And this was when Mrs. Elizabeth Turner remembered something, something about two rooms, both containing unguarded toddlers…

"The children!" she exclaimed, and dashed out of the room as fast as her legs could carry her, her skirts billowing behind her. First, she came to Thomas's room and took him out of bed, the groggy two-year-old burrowing into his mother's hold with a slight groan. Next, she carried this child in her arms to the room that Claire and John shared, so that she could keep an eye on all of them at once. Upon shutting the door tightly behind herself, it took a moment for Elizabeth's eyes to adjust to the darkness of the room, the only source of light a thin stream of moonlight from a slit in between the curtains. The very first thing she noticed was, of course, the fact that Claire was wide-awake, sitting up in bed. Her flaming red hair, going just past her shoulders, glistened in the eerie silver glow falling down directly upon her, but her cerulean eyes were lost in shadow. The freckles on her pale, pale cheeks were just visible, and the effect was almost like that of a ghost, especially with the pure white nightgown she wore.

"Aunty Liz, what's goin' on?" she asked, her voice barely betraying her drowsiness

"Nothing at all, Claire. Go back to sleep," Elziabeth said softly, moving closer to the bed. In the next bed over, sleeping soundly was John, almost a perfect miniature of Jack if not for the lighter skin. He wasn't as tanned, obviously, as he had spent practically the past three months in Port Royale and consequently out of the sun, but other than that, from the raven hair, little beads and braids actually already _in_ it, to the deep brown eyes, he was just like his father. If not for certain mannerisms the two-year-old had already developed, it would have been near impossible to determine who his mother was. Ah yes, and there was the fact that Leah had given birth to him in Port Royale…

It was just then, only moments after Elizabeth had assured Claire that nothing ill was about, that cannon fire once again hit Port Royale, very close to the mansion they were in.

"That's a cannon!" Claire let out, and then slammed a hand down on her mouth, the sound of her own outburst shocking even her in the otherwise dead silence of the room. Another shot rent through the air, a sound both Claire and her brother, now stirring, both knew very well. The majority of their time was spent on a pirate ship, after all, and not just any pirate ship, no, but the legendary _Black Pearl_. It was only because the latest planned looting had been so dangerous that the two of them had been left with their aunt, uncle, and grandfather. Otherwise, neither Leah or Jack would ever have let the two out of their sight.

"Claire, stay right there, darling. Don't get out of bed," Elizabeth directed gently, sitting down on the edge of the mattress and lying her son down next to his cousin. He was more or less awake now, and sat up with a yawn, eyeing his mother warily. 

"Sleepy…"

"Shhh, Tom, shhh," was her reply to the boy, placing a finger on his lips. At just this moment, John finally sat up.

For the next fifteen or so minutes, Mrs. Turner spent her time trying to keep the children calm and entertained-though Claire was not at all scared and merely curious, and John and Tom only felt a _tiny _bit of fear-and also trying desperately to get them all back to sleep. The latter wasn't working in the least. 

Fairly quickly, all of the toddlers were gathered on Claire's bed, sitting up both attentive and alert, at least as far as children their age could get. 

As she spoke, Elizabeth had felt the strongest anxiety over Will's well-being and almost went after him at least seven times throughout this little sit-down. Nevertheless, her common sense got the better of her every time. She could not take these three outside, nor could she leave them alone and unattended under the current circumstances. So, she had to stay.

Just as she her eyes flicked back from the door, Elizabeth opened her mouth to answer one of Claire's many inquiries, but when muffled screaming and footsteps rushing down the hall were heard, she shut it again. Tensing up, she motioned for the children to stay quiet, which, strangely enough, actually _worked_, and began to move slowly towards the door, yearning desperately for any sort of weapon. Hesitantly, she opened the door and peeked out, but at what she saw, she shut it tight immediately, putting the full weight of her back against it.

"Mum, wha-"

"Shh, Tom, shh," she urged yet again, though this time with far more urgency. There was a group of at least five pirates in that hallway, terrorizing the servants and most likely having killed a few men and women. With any luck, they would not come in there. And, of course, Elizabeth had no such luck… With a sharp pounding on the door, she was thrown forward as the smooth wood crashed forward. The moment she regained her footing, Elizabeth careened about, standing as erect and fearless as she could before the bed.

"Aunty…" John said, but Elizabeth said nothing, facing the entrance as three men crossed the threshold into the room. One came in front of the other two, a tall man, just under 6 feet, with short jet black hair and piercing green eyes, a scar clearly visible along his left cheek starting just below the eyes and going all the way down to the jaw line. He was dressed in simple faded blue breeches, a white cotton shirt with a golden vest over it, and the trademark coat any self-respecting captain seemed to wear. Naturally, he also had the belt and the like to hold all of his belongings, i.e. a compass, weaponry, maps, etc., and there was a fierce glow in his eyes, not that Elizabeth could really see the latter in the darkened room. Yes, he was most definitely the leader of the three. The scraggily men behind him, both fairly short with grimy long brown hair, both far more filthy than he was, seemed to await his command.

"So this'd be the room then, eh?" the apparent leader grinned victoriously, revealing remarkably well-kept teeth and even some gold-capped ones. His speech was strangely smooth, and his voice not at all gruff. 

The men behind him grinned maliciously, moving further in with their swords held before them. His own pistol extended, the leader stuck out his left arm, motioning for the two of them to stay put. Begrudgingly, they did.

"You, who're you?" the man asked, his weapon poised at Elizabeth. She was either a maid… or not, and he wanted to know. He wanted to know _now_. "Speak, girl, or those fine children 'hind ya get a nice taste o' blood."

"I-"

But before she could continue with whatever it was she was about to say, something happened that, well, wasn't exactly the _best_ thing that could have happened.

"Don't hurt Mum!" Tom yelled, jumping in front of Elizabeth.

"Yeah!" seconded John, joining his cousin, his elder by two months. Claire was the only one still in the bed, her legs in what would later be called "Indian-style". Strangely calm, she watched the events unfolding before her appraisingly.

"John, Tom, no!" she said quietly, but it was too late. The damage was done.

"So if _this_ is your son," he began, motioning to Tom with his short light-brown locks and similar eyes, "and as this be one of the _finer_ rooms in this here place… I take it you're Elizabeth, and those two [more brandishing of his pistol] are the young Sparrows."

"Take it as you please," she countered.

Sighing with exaggerated impatience, he cocked his pistol, the barrel pointed straight at her head. "Are you Elizabeth Turner, or ain't ya?"

"And if I am?"

"Well then you're _just_ the lady we've been wantin' to see." His two partners chuckled.

"Should I feel honored?" she asked sardonically.

"But of course," he assured her, and began to approach…

"Parley!" Even _this_ man had to follow the Code, did he not? And it had worked four years ago… to a point.

"Want to see the Captain, eh…? Well, sorry, darling. That'd be me. And I know exactly what I want."

"But… what are you doing onshore?"

"Why this is a _personal_ matter, Ms. Turner! 'Sides that, I got the ship in good hands." Turning his head to face the man to his right, he spoke again. "Take the boy. _Sparrow_'s boy." Then, to the other, "You get the girl." Finally, he turned back to Elizabeth. "And you, Ms. Turner… I get you."

It happened very quickly, the men going for their targets without pause. Elizabeth tried to pick John up to safety, but one of the brutes pushed her backward, and the other one, the one after Claire, shoved her over to her left. Tom was also pushed roughly to the side, and scared senseless, ran to his mother, who instinctively picked him up, glaring daggers at the men. If looks could have killed… all three men, the leader in particular, would have been dead three times over in every single way imaginable.

Before she could do anything else, she was grasped barbarously by the arm, but her struggling did her absolutely no good. Nor could she do anything more with Tom held in her arms, and she wasn't about to put him down.

"Come on," the leader snarled, pulling her along with him. From behind her, Elizabeth could hear John's cries and Claire's ear-shattering screeches. Neither of them were about to take this calmly.

"Where d'ya have a writing desk?" he asked, dragging Elizabeth down the hallway in the direction of her room… not that he knew this was where he was _taking_ her, of course.

"What? Why?"

"Let's just say I wanna leave dear ol' Jack Sparrow a little note, eh?" His two crewmembers would have laughed at this, but… they were too busy trying to contain the struggling toddlers without hurting them.

"Sir!" one yelled, "These two're impossible ta hold!"

"Bloody tramp," the second one growled, waving his hand in the air. The little redheaded demon had bitten him1

Rolling his eyes, the leader suddenly stopped and turned, still gripping Elizabeth's arm fiercely. Tom was in tears now as well, and trying to break out of his mother's grasp so that he could get to John. Elizabeth was having next to no luck quieting him. "Get yourselves back to the ship, and if I hear _anythin'_ happens to those two… Ya'll both _wish_ you were caught and swingin'. Am I understood?"

"Aye, sir," the one holding John returned, and quickly, the two made their exit.

"You can't do this," Elizabeth protested, trying her best to wrench out of the man's grasp, but it did no good.

"Oh, but I can, and I am, darling. So come _on_," he ordered, and dragged her further down the hallway and into the first set of doors he found… her rooms. And, lo and behold, there was a writing desk, paper and all. "Siddown," he said curtly, throwing her down into the chair.

"You're a despicable scoundrel," she said vehemently, brown eyes cold as she looked at the man, bouncing Tom on her lap almost absentmindedly.

"But of course," he sneered, and then his emerald gaze moved to the howling child. "Shut him up… now."

"I'm trying," she said, and now did her best to somehow stop Tom's cries. If anything happened to him…

Getting steadily more and more annoyed, the pirate turned his head to the doorway and saw a maid running down the hall. "You!" he called out, his gun poised at her but his right hand gripping Elizabeth's shoulder tightly… painfully.

Freezing, the maid turned slowly, her face an unhealthy pasty hue. "Y-yes?" she choked.

"Get ova here now, or your brains'll be blown out all over that pretty hallway." Swallowing, the maid, by the name of Kate, approached tentatively. Elizabeth used this distraction to shoot up, but angrily, he took out his sword and put it to her neck, his pistol still squared at the maid. "I suggest… you sit." Her wrathful gaze never once leaving his face, Elizabeth got back into the seat, holding Tom close.

The maid had briefly considered running during that little debacle, but as the weapon was still poised at her person… Her breathing fast and shallow, her heart pounding at her ribs, Kate finally entered the room.

"Give 'er the kid," the man commanded, his sword still at Elizabeth's throat. And then, to Kate. "You, get him outta my sight. I don't need a little brat distracting me."

"Kate… here, take him," Elizabeth said at last, sliding out of the chair, away from the sword, and walking over to one of the mansion's many servants. Silently, the pirate watched.

"Nonononono!!!" screamed Tom, latching onto his mother, but Elizabeth pried him away, whispering words of comfort into his ear, and finally handed him to Kate.

"_Don't_ let anything happen to him," Elizabeth told Kate, her face stern. The maid nodded, holding Tom closely and doing her best to keep the wriggling two-year-old from escaping. In her best attempt to calm him, Elizabeth stroked her son's hair, speaking very softly. "It's all right, Tom. Go with Kate. Mother will see you soon, I promise." _I promise…_ Suddenly, Elizabeth remembered: Will! Where was he? Was he all right? Was he hurt? But… she couldn't worry about that now. At least, she could _try_ not to worry about that now.

Before long, Kate and Tom were gone, the latter only _slightly_ calmer. Sternly, Elizabeth turned and walked back to the writing desk, sitting down in the high-backed, highly polished chair.

"Very good," the man smirked, and subsequently sheathed his sword, his remaining weapon pointed at the young woman's head. "Now, get out a piece of paper, and write."

"I'm not writing anything for you," she practically hissed, her hands not even moving to the desk but firmly at her sides.

Digging the pistol into Elizabeth's temple, the pirate spoke again. "Write what I say _now_, else you're dead, and I'll find yer boy and get rid o' him too, understand me? And don't do anythin' funny like writing something different than what I say, else your darling sister's kids'll be swimming with the fishies." 

Oh, where was Will? Why had he left? _He_, at least, had a weapon. But… and she knew this well, he wasn't there now. She didn't know that he was out there, saving a few "innocent" townspeople from the pirates. She didn't know that the Commodore was doing his best to sink the enemy ship. She didn't know that her father was trapped in his rooms. She was on her own.

"Fine," Elizabeth snapped tersely, and took out a piece of paper and writing utensil, beginning the man's ransom note to Jack Sparrow. This is what it said:

_Well, Jack, as you've probably noticed by now, we've swiped your precious Claire and John. Really, you'd have to be a fool _not_ to notice, wouldn't you, but then again, you_ are_ you. Ah yes, getting to the point… you know what we want, Jack Sparrow. You know perfectly well. And you know that this is all your fault, completely and totally._

_In case you really are just far denser than I think, I'll tell you what we want in exchange for your children's lives. Wait, you know what, I _won't_. Think back, Jack. Think of what you stole from us? Think of how long we've had to formulate plots of revenge, and think of how well they're working/ You know we won't hesitate to kill the brats, so I suggest you hurry up, Sparrow. All in all, I'd say it's a fair trade. You and the _Pearl_, you and your wife and the _Pearl_, _and_ what you stole from us, for the lives of your children. In 3 days' time, come to the island, you know which one. We're waiting, Sparrow._

_Sincerely,_

Eric and Swanson 

_Oh, and yes, before I forget… you'll pay before this is over. That, I personally can swear, and I'm absolutely _certain _Swanson can as well._

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**Riley**: Hehe, yes, the whole "Miss Swann" bit annoys her SO much, but there not much she can do about it, eh? ;-) I'm glad ye enjoyed AgoL, mate! And that you're liking this! Once again, I apologize for the long delay! Promise there won't be anymore this long, pirate's honor. ;-)

**Melrose**: Oooh, ya can? Gippal!!! (Gippal=Yay in my strange lil world) Glad ye're enjoying, mate!

**TriGem**: Teehee, I luvle suspense. It's _so_ much fun. XD And yeah, I feel bad for lil ol' Leah… But she does get a happy ending… more or less… Anywayz, I'm glad you're liking the sequel, mate! Enjoy!

**Keira**: *has updated* And I luvvle cliffies!!!! Sryz, I know they're evil, but they work, eh? ;-)

**Ipzy**: Yessums, he was _really_ tweaked when he heard about that… Especially since Elizabeth and Will helped to arrange it. *giggles* (Yes, most likely a flashback eventually.) And sacrifice to gods…. Hmmm… *ponders* ;-)

**Jeyke**: It's interesting? Yay!!!! *does a wee dance* Gippal!

**Vagrant**: Yupperz… mucho angst, but I can't help it! For some odd reason, my mind has to make everyone suffer! O.o @.@ But there's a happy ending! Sorta… Maybe…

**Kizume**: *steeples hands and bows* I'm glad you luvvle this chappie so much, mate! And that you beta, for which I am eternally grateful. ^_____^ As for how Claire isn't _technically_ Leah's… all good things come in time, eh? Ye'll fine out! As for parentheses, I think I'll leave those in. I like 'em there. :-P

**Angel**: Yupperz, it's he-ere! XD Nope, the Gov. would never let Leah hang, I don't think… And Leah would never let Jack hang, so they're both pretty much safe as long as they don't make a spectacle of themselves and pretty much stay sorta hidden every time they come. ;-) And dontcha worry, lil Tom is fine. I luvvle that boy. *pinches Tom's cheek*

**Cirith**: Ye'll find out in the next chappie just _where_ Tom is, eh? I guarantee he's not hurt, though. :-D Glad you're enjoying!

**Chaos**: Hehe, yes, that _would _be amusing. _Really_ amusing. But the two of 'em actually went to a Church, if you can believe it. Lol And I'm glad I'm getting Jack right. Sadly enough, not that much o' him in this chappie, eh, but I _promise_ loads and LOADS of our dear pirate captain in the next chapter… and much annoyance with him on Leah's part. ;-)

**Sarra**: ROFL!!!!! All right, you are officially _awesome_, mate! (Not that the rest of ye aren't awesome! NO JEALOUSY!!! *hands out truckloads of rum*) NOT to mention certifiable! (Just like MEEEEEE!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) *joins in with her own picket sign, but this one says "Free the Murple Purple Elephants!!!!"* :P Seriously, I do feel horrible for making Leah suffer as much as she does, I do… but it's what comes to me. O.o I swear Fred is sadistic… But Leah DOES have happy moments! She has Jack, eh? Anywayz, I'm really glad ye likes, mate! Tell me watcha think of this latest installment!

**Leah**: Thankies!!! And keeping y'all in suspense 'bout what happens next fun…. ;-) :P

**Dream**: WOWZERS!!! YOU DID?!?! O.o I'm bloody HONORED you liked it so much, and that you're reading me sequel as well! Hopefully I can keep this fic up to thy standards.

**Soccer**: I'm really glad ye enjoyed AgoL, mate. And that you're liking this one. :-D Once again, SO sorry for the long update. I swear, no more this long if I can help it.

**Jinxd**: Eh, I'm evil. :-P And more cliffies! MUAHAHAHA!!!!

**Gwyn**: Hehe, glad you like, mate! And I emailed ye the chappie, so nah! *sticks out tongue* ;-)


	3. Truly Worth Nothing

**A/N**: See? I was better! Shorter Delay! XD Sorry, once again, life TOO hectic! Ya, So, here y'all go! Enjoy! And remember, REVIEW!!!! I LOVE YOU ALL! :P

*****Special thanks to Kizume for betaing!**

Me: Happy? I finally let you outta the closet.

Jack: Ecstatic.

Me: Oh shush, you! You get outta there a LOT!!! This is just the first time I've ever let you anywhere NEAR my writing. And besides that, you should feel lucky I'm letting you do anything at all! This is all your fault!

Jack: What's my fault, luv? *sips rum*

Me: -_- The fact that Leah and I both have the flu.

Jack: I didn't give it to you, darling. As you can see, I'm unaffected.

Me: For which I hate you.

Leah: I second that.

Jack: I feel so loved…

Leah and Me: *steal rum, finish off the bottle, and smile and nod*

Me: Oh but…

Leah: You should.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Jack, this is the note," said Elizabeth, taking a folded up piece of paper from her husband and handing it to the pirate. Leah moved out of the man's hold as her sister handed over the kidnapper's note.

"Thank you," he said in the only way a man like Jack Sparrow could say those two words, and then began to scan through it, reading and rereading the words carefully. Meanwhile, Leah simply stood there, having trouble absorbing the tale she had just heard. It couldn't possibly be true. It couldn't… but it was.

Eric… a note… Swanson… something Jack stole (though that really wasn't any sort of surprise)… And that deadline, _three days_? It was impossible, especially since it would take her and Jack at least a day to make it Tortuga, and supposing that Jack really _did_ know where these Eric and Swanson people wanted to meet him, there was still absolutely no way to make it in time. There was no island with such a close proximity to Port Royale.

But what was this aspect of Jack's past that he had never told her? It was obviously something of some significance, especially if it was worth the trouble of abducting their children. No, not only abducting their children, but finding out exactly _where_ their children would be located, when, and finding out their background. But… it was _her_ fault that they were at Port Royale in the first place. It was her fault that they were at the governor's mansion, and if her reputation had not spread so far and wide, then perhaps it would not have been _known_ where to find the two toddlers. Perhaps…

She needed to see that note. She needed to analyze it and reanalyze it. And, though it didn't seem at all likely for her to know so, she needed to know that John and Claire were all right.

Wait just a moment. Children, all right… Oh, how could she have been so _idiotic_?

"Liz, Tom, is he all right? Was he hurt?" she asked, kicking herself for not having inquired into this before.

"He's fine," Will assured her, clasping Elizabeth's hands in his own as the both of them faced Jack and Leah. "I ran into Kate outside the mansion with Tom, safe and sound. She told me what happened, but by the time I got back, it was too late."

"Tom is upstairs asleep," his wife finished for him, giving her lover's hand a soft squeeze. He was just as bad as she was at taking the blame.

"Well thank God for that," Leah sighed. "Thank God that nothing happened to Tom as well. But… there was nothing you could have done, you two. You know that, don't you, and [she couldn't believe she was saying this…] you two as well, Father, Commodore. You did all you could have, I'm sure." And then, under her breath, "Unlike me. It's all my bloody fault…"

"Leah, no it's not," Jack firmly said from behind her, having finished committing the entire "ransom note" to memory and consequently in the process of folding said paper back up.

"No, let me see that," she said to him, reaching for the note, not commenting on his words. With a nonchalant gesture, he handed it to her, though his act didn't fool Leah in the least. He was as worried as she was… and she was _upset_ with him, angry… no, make that _enraged_, over the fact that he had not told her about this little facet of his past earlier. She would be questioning him quite a lot on their voyage back to Tortuga, but as for now… for now her wrath would have to wait.

"We did all we could, Leah," her father said.

"I know," she smiled, and then looked down at the paper, Elizabeth's neat script running across it in quick, firm strokes.

"If only I had gotten back to the house sooner," Will lamented, but having just started to read the note, Leah's eyes snapped up, fixing on the blacksmith.

"There was _nothing_ you could have done. You saved quite a few people out on the streets. You did all you could, Will. Do _not_ feel guilt over this. That goes for you too, Elizabeth."

"But if I had just-"

"Ugh, would you stop it? It wasn't your fault, there was nothing you could have done, and that is that!" Leah finally exclaimed, fire in both her voice and eyes. This was getting steadily… irritating, and she was not in the mood. Almost immediately she felt guilty for snapping at her sister… but there really wasn't much that could be done about it. And besides that, she really needed to finish reading the note and interrogating all involved, Jack especially.

"She's right, Will," Elizabeth said at last, and that was, for all points and purposes, that.

Finally, without much more interruption from all parties, she was done. Slowly, she lowered her hand, the note clasped tightly within it, and turned to Jack, carefully phrasing her question so as to not appear… too… well, frankly, so as to not appear as if she was going to rip his head off, eat a good part of the flesh, and feed the remains to the sharks. As for his body, well, let's just say that no one of even relatively sane mind would want to know what she so longed to do with _that_.

"Jack, darling," she began ever-so-slowly, turning to face him, "what did he mean by you and me and the _Pearl_, not to mention what you stole from them, for our children…?"

"What he means, darling," Jack said, his right hand upraised with accompanying Jackish gestures, "is that he wants not only what I supposedly liberated from him, but he wants the two of us dead, and he wants the _Pearl_."

"And if he receives all of that?"

"Then, most likely, Claire and John'll be dead either way."

"Damn it…"

"Perhaps you could enlighten us on what exactly it was you stole," the Commodore said, still a good distance away from them. Though Leah's father was closer to her, Jack, Elizabeth, and Will than James Norrington was, he was still a good few feet away himself.

"Aye, I could…"

"Well, Jack?" Leah pressed.

"Well, you see, it's really of no consequence. But time is, on the other hand, and Leah luv, we really must be going."

"I'm _aware_ of that," she snapped, assuming that she could question him on exactly what he stole _was_ the moment they were out of earshot of… well, more or less everyone else in the room, "but, we can't leave just yet." Next, she turned to face Norrington. "Did you send any ships after them earlier? Maybe they caught them or… oh, _please_ don' tell me…"

Governor Swann spoke up now. "No ships have left Port Royale since the attack."

"Why…?" she asked.

"That's what I've wanted to know," Will said, turning his head to look at the Commodore.

"Technically, your children have not been kidnapped," he said, "And so, technically, I am unable to send out any sort of rescue party."

"_What_?" Leah demanded. John and Claire had technically _not _been kidnapped? Technically, they sure as hell _had. _The situation wasn't exactly imaginary.But, of course, her father stepped in once again.

"Leah, the Commodore cannot send ships of the Royal Navy after the children of pirates. Especially since no one is supposed to know they're yours."

"Though they do, anyway," Elizabeth pointed out.

"I'm aware, Elizabeth."

"Then _why_ haven't you gone after them? Or done _anything_? You have a bloody _Fort_ here. And it's not as if Port Royale is oblivious of my piracy or relatives, and neither is anyone else, as a matter of fact." That last part, she spat venomously, bitterly. How _else_ would Claire and John's present captors have known where to find them?

"Probably because he can't risk his reputation, eh? Am I right, mate?" Jack volunteered. Leah barely spared her "spouse" a glance before looking back towards Norrington, glowering.

"Quite," was his brusque reply.

"So… because of _politics_… these pirates have been allowed a completely free reign?" Leah summarized, looking from one person to the next.

"I attempted to convince the both of them otherwise, but obviously, it didn't work," Elizabeth explained. She was… more than a little angry herself, and her guilt over the situation did not help matters any either.

"Leah, there was truly nothing we could do," her father said.

"Besides," the Commodore continued, "with a ship like the _Pearl_, you two are far better suited to chase after a pirate ship such as this, and who knows what would have happened to Claire and John had we given chase?"

"You're cowards, the both of you," Leah told her father and the Commodore, turning away in disgust.

"Leah-" But as always, this daughter ignored her sole surviving parent.

"Elizabeth, Will, thank you for all you've done," Leah said, offering a small smile to them and them only. Her sister came up first and the two embraced yet again.

"You'll get them back, Leah, I know you will."

She wanted to say, "I hope so," but instead stayed quiet.

"And Jack," she continued, turning to face him as she took a step back, "whatever you stole, I hope it was worth it."

"Well, luv, maybe it was," he retorted. He was Captain Jack Sparrow, he was legendary… but even he did not have an unlimited store of patience.

Before Elizabeth could say anything back-Leah was just… going to stay silent, now-Will spoke up.

"Any assistance I can offer you two, you have it," he said, and it was obvious he meant it. A great number of loose strands falling out from the tie that kept his hair back, his clothing actually the fine clothing of a gentleman (though looser and less intricate than usual), a firm resolve in his manner and tone… it was easy to see why Elizabeth loved the man.

"Just keep making the swords, mate. I may need one one day soon. Savvy?" Jack grinned in response.

Leah merely rolled her eyes at this and gave her thanks once again… but now, now they really _had_ to leave. So with their last goodbyes, the two pirates made their best attempt. Jack was the first one to approach the exit, but two guards stepped directly in front of them. Making a sort of grimace, one hand resting on his pistol, Jack stood and eyed the two of them, Leah coming up beside him.

"Let them through," the Commodore ordered. Begrudgingly, the guards moved aside, and with not one look back, made their way out. Governor Swann would be very happy to find his candlesticks untouched long after their departure.

"Jack, what did you steal?" Leah herself questioned sharply as the pair of them made their way through the, sad to say it, dirty and raucous common streets of Port Royale. Though not anywhere was outlandish and clearly pirate as Tortuga and countless others, this port was still far from clean as a whistle. When she had first lived there, Leah had not seen how the "common folk" lived, but now… now she saw full well.

"Nothing of any real import, darling," he answered, and kept walking.

"What is that supposed to mean? It's obviously something important, else Eric and Swanson wouldn't've taken our _children_ over it, Jack. Does that even bother you at _all_?"

And now, this time, Jack Sparrow truly did halt in his stride, Leah right along with him. "Of _course_ it bothers me. But what good will telling you what I did almost fifteen years ago make matters _any_ different? Tell me that, eh? Otherwise, drop it."

"Then I take it _this_ means nothing to you as well, because obviously, you don't care!" she practically yelled, having extreme trouble keeping her voice down, and held up her right hand, her palm facing her. And it was obvious what she was referring to, dreadfully obvious. Right on her ring finger… was a ring, originally Jack's, a silver one with a black inlaid stone. He had had it with him for years before he had met her, and ever since that fateful day, that day that took place almost three years ago, it had been her wedding ring. He could have gotten her something "worth more", certainly, but worth more in whose eyes? He was a pirate. He stole treasure for a living, as did she now. It wouldn't have been nearly as precious to her as the one he ended up giving her. And now… now this symbol of love seemed to have the worth of a great load of _dirt_.

"At the moment…" he began, almost sighing, "at the moment, no. It does, but at the moment… at the moment, Claire and John are in danger, Leah, and we have got to go and don't have time to stand around arguing, savvy? There's _no_ time to explain now, and no dire need to. And so, we're off." With one last meaningful glance her way, Jack began walking again, this time his cocky swagger almost unnoticeable with the speed at which he was moving.

Frozen in a strange mix of rage, despair, and shock, she pursed her lips in an attempt to keep calm, and did a mannerism she had picked up from her "loving" husband, but one indicative of only severe stress in her. Placing her hands into a steeple below her chin for a moment, Leah moved her head down to rest on the fingertips, and then she did her own little addition to the movement, rolling her fingertips down to create two fists pushing up against each other, chin still resting on the tops of the fists. She stayed like this for a moment, taking a deep calming breath as she clenched her hands hard, so hard as to turn the knuckles white, but then took another deep breath, jerkily bringing straightened hands to her sides with a forced smile. And then, doing her best to keep calm, Leah made her steady way after Jack.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**Keira**: *Salutes* Yes ma'am!

**Leah**: Hehe, I love the evil ones, don't you? They're FUN. And yes, I promise, the "adventure" part shall start very very soon.

**Vagrant**: Hey, now I didn't say it'd be a happy ending for CERTAIN, did I? ;-) :P And sorry for the angstyness… but that's how it comeths to me, eh? And as for me villain… ye don't know the half of it yet, mate. ;-)

**TriGem**: OH YEAH, is someone ticked at Jack. He's made some enemies, Jack has. Though I'm afraid I can't quite answer thy "big question" at this time (you'll fine out, just read on ;-)), I can assure you… Leah is MAD at Jack now, just to say the very least. If 'twas not apparent in this chappie, just wait till the next one. I swear, these two need couple's therapy. ;-) Eh, maybe not. :P

**Riley**: Hehe, yupperz, ye were me very first reviewer! All hail! *bows down* *clears throat and straightens up* Um, yes, so… glad I've made it very apparent that Eric is a heartless… person. Now all that's left is for y'all to meet Swanson. ;-) And as for Leah exploding… well, she won't EXPLODE, but she's pretty tweaked. Just read on… ye'll see exactly why. :P

**Sara**: YEEEK! NO STICK BEATINGS!!! Lol But seriously, I'm glad ye like, mate! And that once I showed the ficcy to ye you read of your own free will! Usually I have to prod people with pitchforks. Lol Here's hoping ye likethed this chappie too!

**Sarra**: ROFL!!!! That's it, I need your autograph! WE MUST SAVE THE PIGEONS!!!! :P And I LIKE textbook reviews, thank you very much, so keep 'em up before I beat YOU with your doggy's toy, which should prove to be quite unpleasant, eh? Hey, idea…. Let's both beat Eric and Swanson with it! Wooot!!! And hehe, that'd be the most amusing article… I should write it… *shifty eyes* Nah, LEAH won't pounce on Jack kicking and screaming or point a gun at him just yet (still debating whether she's done this before, but really, who could blame her? ;-))

Jack: I could.

Me and Leah: HUSH!!!

*clears throat* Um yes…. As I was saying… keep reviewing! And saving the PIGEONS AND MURPLE ELEPHANTS!!! *hands over tissue* Oui, tu es tres magnifique, savvy? :-D

**Kirie**: Hehe, that's be FUN!!! Seriously… And hehe, I LOVE that word, "minx". Ye have THE best terminology, didja know that, mate?

**aquastar**: Hehe, yup, I got it autographed, just for you mate, so yay! :P And I'm glad you likethed both! XD *does a little jig* And there WILL be romance, you romance junkie! Just lotsa other stuffs too. ;-) Maybe this will help ya, maybe not, but either way, I hope you like! I promise you, there WILL be romance, though, esp. in the flashbacks.

**venus**: Oooh, seriously? THANKS!!! I'm glad you liked! And uber nice timing, I might add, me just about to put up this one when ye review. ;-) I hope ya like the rest as well!


	4. Memories

**A/N**: Yay! Another chappie! SO SORRY for the two weeks it took me to update, but let's just say that certain people are making my life far more complicated than it needs to be, savvy? PLEASE don't let my delays in updating stop y'all from reading this! I swear, I will TRY to update faster. I'm not going to made any promises though. *Sighs* Life is evil at times. But, on the bright side, it's a SUPER LONG CHAPPIE! Woot! Double the wait, double the length! ;-) Heh… :P So…. Enjoy! ~XD

**A/N2:** :P All right, basically guys, this is one big flashback, but not quite. Just kinda Leah going over the events of the past 4 years, kinda like an overview, savvy? Just…. Read. You'll see what I'm talking about. I must warn y'all, though, this chapter really lives up to it's PG-13 rating in sexual content. Nothing explicit, mind you, but explicit enough. "Ye be warned," in other words. Personally, I think you're all fine reading this, but you never know, eh? So, read at your own peril. ;-)

Jack: Hmmm, I'm still out of the closet. Should I be frightened?

Me: Oh yes, very.

Jack: All right, then. *to Leah* When you're not in the closet, where does she keep you, anyway?

Leah: Keep me? O.o Nowhere. I'm free to go where I want when I want as I please. 

Jack: Just me then, eh?

Leah and Me: Yup! 

Me: ^___________________^

Jack:…….I hate you, luv.

Me: Well if THAT'S not a contradictory phrase, I don't know what is.

Jack: Shush.

                                                *****Special thanks to Kizume, Kirie, and Pendragon for betaing. What would I do without you guys? :P**

**                                                                        ***EXTRA special thanks to Kizume for not just betaing but going above and beyond. You ROCK! ~XD**

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The trip to Tortuga was… a _quiet_ one, to say the least. Throughout the entire voyage, not one word was spoken between Jack and Leah, not _one_ word that was not absolutely necessary, and even then, the two wouldn't even look at one other. Though the journey took nearly an entire day, they stayed silent. In the back of Leah's mind, she knew that they were acting like immature children, but she was so infuriated that she really didn't care. And the same went for Jack. Any onlooker would have rolled his eyes in exasperation and smacked the both of them, smacked the both of them _hard_. After all, they had more important things to worry about than petty arguments and the silent treatment!

But sadly enough, there _was_ no such onlooker, and the two wasted a perfectly good day in which they could have actually _talked_. It probably would have made things just that much simpler in the long run.

As Leah tightened a rope gone slack along the mast, she watched Jack out of the corner of her eye. She truly did love him, and him her… but if he was going to be this much of an ass, who was she to act all kind and forgiving and oblivious? With _him_, that didn't work very well, not to mention the fact that this act would go against everything in her. She had done it once before, after all, and she was _not_ about to do it again.

So, in the twenty-four hours of silence on the boat, what was she supposed to do? No matter how hard she fought it, Leah found herself remembering…

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

That very first night on the _Pearl_, the first day of her escape from Port Royale, Leah had… given herself to Jack. Of course, it had been _very_ apparent from her trip to Tortuga that the man was experienced to say the least, and that night… Well, she never regretted it. That night was pure bliss.

But then they had docked, and at Tortuga, of all places, the rattiest, seediest, and outlandish port town in the area, and one with a great big supply of "unfortunate" women. Captain Jack Sparrow, loyal, especially to someone he'd just met? Ha! What a laugh.

Leah was hurt, there was no denying it, but what was she supposed to do? So she stayed silent about the whole thing, pretended as if she didn't care or was simply _very_ oblivious, becoming more and more the pirate all the while. And the night she told him she loved him… Ugh, that had been horrible. He _did_ love her, she knew that, knew it from what he said that day, and from how he acted, but he would not say "those" words, and his reasoning-that it would make her a target, that it would be dangerous for both of them, and so on and so forth-were complete, well, _crap_. Needless to say, she didn't share his bed or even really _speak_ to him for a good month after that.

And, naturally, she still knew next to nothing about his past. She knew the stories, knew what she'd either read or heard… but that was about it.

Oh yes, though happy and joyful on the surface, if Leah allowed herself to dwell… she was miserable. Not as hopeless as she had been in Port Royale, no, almost _anything_ would have been better than _that_ hell, but she was miserable nonetheless.

It was during this time in her life that the legend of Leah's… "Poison Kiss" came about, something that made her irrefutably famous. In a routine ambush of one of Her Majesty's ships, Leah happened to be somewhat drunk, in an exceptionally bad mood, and just feeling, well, _creative_, altogether not the best of combinations. So, many of those she killed, she kissed on the lips either the moment right before or right after she finally allowed them to meet their Maker. Those she just knocked out… well those lucky souls she gave a light peck on the cheek after knocking them unconscious. The same went for those she wounded. 

Though she didn't do this very often after this one plundering, the story was still spread far and wide by the survivors, and then by those the survivors told, and then by those they told, and so on and so forth… not to mention by Jack, who just really loved to hear himself talk. At least, that was how it seemed to Leah. 

But, the tale became so twisted in certain places that she had ostensibly once slaughtered the entire crew of an enemy ship by _blowing a kiss_. It was ridiculous! Even when she stopped this behavior altogether and would only do so much as the peck on the cheek, the story stuck. What was there to do? The fact that she was the only woman to ever become a member of Jack's crew, share his quarters, _and_ to have been born and raised a noblewoman yet still become so skilled, that only contributed all the more to her growing reputation. Though at first thoroughly uncomfortable with the fame, Leah soon learned to live with this renown.

One day, though, Leah made a discovery of sorts, one completely unrelated to her adventures as a pirate. She was pregnant. How did she discern this little fact, you ask? Simple. A certain… monthly event… had not occurred. For nearly three months straight. Using the excuse that she needed to see her sister, Leah convinced Jack to come with her to Port Royale in a boat that was not the _Pearl_, obviously. Though he wasn't aware of it, a physician there examined her, one fetched by her sister at Leah's request, and her suspicions were confirmed.

A short while after, Leah and Jack were back on the _Pearl_, and Leah had still not informed him. She didn't know _how_ to. Sadly, she waited too long, and, well, to put it bluntly, she miscarried. One morning, she simple woke up, and found a great load of blood on the sheets and on her lower body, mainly along insides of her thighs. Obviously, she'd been bleeding all night. 

Blankly, she stared at the crimson. She was frozen, she couldn't think straight. What….? How…?

Leah didn't know how long she just… sat there, the blood entrancing her fully with its harsh allure. When the door to Jack's "sleeping quarters" opened (Leah had been upset at Jack for one thing or another the other night and had consequently decided to sleep in her lone cot in the "dining" area of the captain's cabin… alone), she gasped, her heart rate instantly speeding up, and pulled her thin blanket over her lower body, lying back and closing her eyes. She was giving off the perfect image of troubled sleep as Jack walked in. She clearly heard his footsteps halt as he stood still to, well, look her over for a moment, and then his gait picked right back up until he was out of the room and out on deck.

The moment she was absolutely certain he wasn't going to come back in, Leah slowly sat up, an obscure fog clouding her senses and hindering her thoughts. Blankly, she pushed the covers away again and, after sitting up, reached out, putting her palm to the moist fabric hesitantly, her hand coming back wet and sticky. She was left to look back and forth from her bloodstained digits and palm, and the bed, unable to process the very apparent.

Leah didn't know how long she _sat_ there, but it must have been a very long time, as Jack himself came back into the cabin to check on her. Some dim part of her mind noticed this and directed her hands to the blanket, pulling it back over her legs and lower body, but this time she remained in an upright position. Therefore, Jack knew very well that she was awake. 

"Leah, are you all right, darling?" he asked, walking forward. He appeared as if he expected Leah to leap to her feet and dive for him screeching like a banshee at any moment. They had had one of their legendary "battles" the night before, sword and all. No, the two of them didn't quarrel; it was never that tame. When they fought, they _battled_. They went all out. And Leah had gone to bed furious.

Nevertheless, it was obvious to him now that something was terribly, terribly wrong. There was just something too vacant in Leah's expression, something too empty and hollow in her movements, in the way she turned her head to face him.

And that was when he noticed the blood. Not just on her hands, no. In her stunned stupor, she had not pulled up her covers all the way, and so… the crimson on the sheets was also just visible, as was the blood near the very bottom of her long loose cotton shirt, her bedclothes. "Leah, what'd you _do_?" he demanded, moving forward quickly and kneeling down along the side of the cot.

At the first touch of his on her upper arm, the fragile shell of shock protecting the young female shattered, and Leah was forced to come to terms with the obvious. And so, Leah Swann began to weep, the sobbing somehow desolate and broken, a heartwrenching sound.

Before long, through many embraces and further tears and certain deductions on Jack's part, he finally solved the mystery of what had occurred.

That was the first time Jack ever told Leah how he truly felt. That was the first time he ever told her that he loved her, knowing full well that she needed to hear it. And though it was a dreadful and despicable process, that miscarriage and the pain that followed, Leah recovered from it all, at least, as best she could. And Jack was by her side the entire time.

After this little incident, Jack did not go out into a port town seeking some "fun" for a good month, though he did start right back up again eventually. Shortly after this brief period of fidelity, though, Jack found Leah getting drunk in a bar in one of the seediest parts of one of the seediest ports in the Caribbean. This was _strange_ to say the least, as she usually tended to deplore alcohol and would only drink if he talked her into it using his amazing wit and charm. A tad bit worried, Jack approached her.

That night was when Jack finally told Leah his history, anything and everything she wanted to know… supposedly. Now, it was obvious he'd left a few key parts out.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

                        Gritting her teeth in rage, Leah glanced at Jack out of the corner of her eye and squeezed her hand into a tight fist, wishing she had something to slam it into. "Left a few key parts out" was right.

                        Ugh, she didn't _want_ to remember anymore. She wanted to stare out at the clear blue sky, the setting sun, the fading light glimmering along the placid water. She wanted to merely _drift_, thoughtless, worriless… but that was impossible, and she knew it. Her children, her _babies_, were gone, Jack was being… well, she couldn't find a word to describe it. And she, she was in such a horrible mood that the beauty and calm of the day only managed to infuriate her. Why should she be so full of turmoil while the world slept? And why couldn't she just will the memories away?

                        But she couldn't, she knew this too. And no matter how hard she tried, Leah was left to relive the rest of the past four years with Jack Sparrow.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Only a month or two after she learned Jack's past, _that_ was the day Leah saw something that made her sick to her stomach, something that made her want to scream and rage and sob all at the same time. Oh yes, Jack… Jack was certainly something. In a secluded corner of one of Tortuga's most _reputable_ inns-in fact, the same one she had seen on her first trip to that wondrous port-Leah found Jack… with one of Tortuga's many whores. As for what the two of them were doing… well, let's just say that it was obvious they didn't _need_ to rent a room. They were having a grand enough time down in the bar.

Stunned, Leah could do nothing but stand there, completely unnoticed by either Jack or the little harlot. Naturally, the thick throng of people around her hid her from sight, and she very well could have stood there until they were done without being spotted, so enrapt were the two in each other. It was obvious the whore wasn't just pretending to enjoy herself, oh no. This was _Captain_ Jack Sparrow. She was having the time of her life.

When Leah was knocked to the side by one drunk pouncing on another, she was knocked sharply back to her senses, along with into a table. And when this happened… well let us just say Leah was no longer feeling so elated, nor was she angry. No, Leah wasn't angry in the least. She was _livid_, absolutely and completely _livid_… and out for revenge. One would think she would be used to this type of behavior, wouldn't one? But no, this was the first time after her miscarriage that she'd ever found him doing anything quite so… perverse in public. And she wanted revenge.

Any fool can see how this whole debacle turned out. Leah really hadn't planned on _doing_ anything, truly she hadn't… but when she saw her and Jack's mutual friend, their kindhearted fellow pirate, first mate on the _Gilded Crown_, by the name of Kevin… the opportunity was just too good to pass up. Though he had misgivings over it, within the next fifteen minutes, the two had a room upstairs. No, Leah wouldn't stoop so low as Jack as to stay down _there_ while she did the deed with this fine man, one only two years older than her at most.

Just as Kevin and Leah were in the middle of the "final act", though, who comes in but none other than… Captain Jack Sparrow. Neither Leah nor Kevin even noticed him until he was directly beside the bed, his sword to Kevin's throat. Eyes widening, the younger male froze.

"What do you think you're doing, Kevin?" he asked softly, though the danger in his tone and eerily cold visage was clear. Kevin was lucky that he hadn't been beheaded and cut into little tiny pieces already. He was lucky that Jack didn't just ruthlessly murder him on the spot. This had to be one of the stupidest things he'd ever done in his life.

Before the man straddling her could say a word, Leah spoke up, sliding up into a sitting position. There was no need to cover herself, though. Her shirt was still on. "What does it _look_ like we're doing, Sparrow?" she snapped, her heart still pounding, a thin layer of sweat coating her flesh, her breathing yet haggard. Kevin was in much the same state, with his two-inch long brown hair in complete disarray, his hazel eyes barely visible in the dim light. His lightly stubbled face was just as sweaty as Leah's, as was the rest of his well-muscled and tanned five foot nine body. His heavy breathing and heart rate now, though, were becoming more a result of fear rather than passion.

"Nothing, Jack. I was just leaving," Kevin said without even glancing at Leah, his voice strangely calm for one in such mortal danger. His eyes fixed on Jack's face, Kevin moved back away from Leah and got himself into a sitting position, grabbing the blanket falling off of the very edge of the bed and wrapping it around his waist. Jack said not a word, but his blade followed Kevin's throat.

"Get dressed, Kevin," he said at last, and it was obvious he was not only _telling_ the young man this, but _ordering_ him to do it. "Get your clothes on and leave. I don't even want to so much as hear your voice for the next few days, savvy? Go."

"Understood," Kevin replied, his eyes still never leaving Jack's, and then he stood, finally turning away and moving steadily but without a trace of fear towards his clothing, strewn all across the floor. His gaze never leaving Kevin, Jack sheathed his sword.

"You pompous hypocritical bastard…" Leah called her _true_ lover under her breath, pulling her knees up to her chest and covering her lower body as best she could, but she was ignored by all. Neither Jack nor Kevin said a thing.

Before long, Kevin was dressed. "I'm sorry, Jack. Goodbye, Leah," were the very last things he said, with a nod of his head towards each of them in turn. And then he was gone, leaving Leah and Jack very much alone.

"Did you enjoy yourself, darling?" he asked, the sarcasm in his voice _very_ apparent.

"Oh, but of course!" she retorted, her tongue just as biting with cynicism.

"Well then, I hope you have many more fun times to count, Miss Swann. And so… ta," he said, giving her a small salute, and just like that, he turned on his heel and was gone, the door slamming shut behind him.

Too surprised to speak, much less move, Leah simply stared at the doorway for a moment, her mind having trouble wrapping itself around what had just happened. Had he just… She had expected a screaming match, one of their trademark arguments. Not… this.

Recovering, the Swann swore under her breath and dove into her clothing as fast as she possibly could, not even bothering with her boots. Those, she carried in her hand as she dashed out the door. Leah managed to reach the bottom of the stairs to the first floor just as Jack was about to reach the exit.

"Jack, wait!" she cried out, taking just one step forward. He halted for a moment, seeming to debate whether or not to stay, but the latter option seemed to win out as he turned, swaggering back over to her with a small smile on his lips. It was not a typical Jack smile, oh no. This one was for more forced, more sinister, more hurt… truly, she would have preferred him to be in a rage. Actually, it was very likely that he was, but he was Captain Jack Sparrow. He was not about to lose control.

"What do you _want_, darling?" he asked her, his expression darkening, his hands clearly emphasizing his point.

"For the love of God, call me Leah…" she told him quietly, literally _forcing_ herself to not look down.

Well, the outcome of this battle betwixt the two of them, Leah and Jack, is really not that difficult to ascertain. Leah had never done anything of this sort before, _ever_, and did not plan to again. And Jack, he now had a taste of his own medicine, and what's more, he discovered something. For you see, within minutes after Leah went after Jack, they were back in that room, performing certain… activities. And that night, Jack found out that he really didn't need to seek "comfort" in other women. He had all he needed in Leah, and he didn't have to treat her like a little fragile flower that would disintegrate at the slightest force, at the slightest "harsh handling".

With the exception of two or three more "occurrences", Jack Sparrow became loyal in the fidelity department.

It was only a year and a few months after Leah had first become a part of the _Black Pearl_'s crew and Jack's lover that she became pregnant again… and though she was terrified of another miscarriage, this time, she didn't have one. In fact, the pregnancy went off more or less without a hitch. And so, on May 3rd, in the year 1687, John Sparrow was born in the relative safety of Port Royale.

Just four months after that, Jack married Leah in the Church Leah used to attend with her father and sister, and was actually married by none other than the kindly priest there who could not have cared less that Leah, once one of his favorite parishioners, was now an outlaw. True, he did scold her thoroughly… but what was he to do? Refuse to marry her to someone she obviously loved, someone who loved her back, and someone whom she had a _child_ with?

It was a bit ironic, really. Jack had never even proposed! They had simply gone to Port Royale one day, with John, naturally, and after a _very_ odd day, they ended up in the Church just before dawn. Will and Elizabeth, strangely enough, had actually _helped_ Jack with this plan of his, and John and Tom was even present for the entire ceremony.

Things were about to become very different very quickly, though. The day the _Black Pearl_ was to leave Tortuga following the marriage (Where else was it going to be docked during the wedding in Port Royale?), Scarlet, one of Jack's old favorites in the port, came up to him and Leah in the _Green Dragon_, practically dragging beside her a little crimson-cloaked something by its little white hand. This little something was a two-year-old girl, and Scarlet was her aunt, though neither Jack nor Leah knew it.

"It's your turn, Jack," Scarlet informed him the moment she had reached the pair at their table, not even bothering to fake a greeting or take a seat.

"What's my turn, luv?" he asked her, eyeing the toddler with the downcast face for only a moment before looking back at Scarlet.

Rolling her eyes, Scarlet pointed to the little someone beside her with her left hand, her _free_ hand. "That. This. Her." There was a moment of silence… and then Jack began to grin, Leah uttering a nervous laugh from beside him.

"I see. And how many _other_ men have you tried this on? Really, darling, if you don't know who the father i-"

"She's not _mine_, if that's what you think," Scarlet said brusquely, glaring, and bent down beside the child. His grin only somewhat diminished, Jack watched with an amused smile. Leah managed one of her own, but her heart was pounding, and there were little beads of sweat popping out along her brow. She sincerely doubted how Scarlet would know who the father of this child _was_, especially if it wasn't hers, but if this little girl really _was_ Jack's…

With one last pointed glower at Jack, Scarlet turned her face back to the child and pulled down her hood, revealing a head full of vivid red curls and a downcast pale face with a splash of freckles across the cheeks and nose. "Claire, hon', look up," Scarlet commanded, her voice far softer than it had been with the pirate captain. Wordlessly, Claire obeyed, looking up and revealing sharp emerald eyes. She wasn't smiling.

"She's Kat's," Scarlet told them softly, straightening up with Claire's little hand gripping her far larger one tightly.

"Kat's…" Jack echoed, any and all traces of his arrogant grin gone now. He hadn't so much as _seen_ Kat in over a year, and when he had seen her last, she never mentioned…

"Yeah, Kat's. You know, the gal you abandoned for this twerp?" Scarlet said vehemently, motioning to Leah with her free hand. Leah said nothing.

Although she didn't know it then, Leah found out just who Kat was that night. Her full name Katherine, and she was Scarlet's sister… well, had been. She'd died, taken ill around the time she'd last run into Jack, and had died naught a year after giving birth to their daughter.

Shy, stubborn, and kind by nature, Kat' had never taken up her sister's occupation upon arriving in Tortuga. While Scarlet went and made money her way, Scarlet would at most serve tables in a bar or mend clothing. She would _never_,_ ever_ take a man to bed for money, nor even for pleasure. It was not in her to do such… that is, until she met Captain Jack Sparrow. Cocky, shrewd, and flamboyant to a fault, he was the only man who ever came close to seizing her heart, and visa versa. Too bad he never stayed in one place for too long, and, well, wasn't exactly one to settle down. Still, Kat held out hope that one day, maybe, he _would_ just stay with her and leave the ocean, the silver and gold and adventure and other women. Scarlet knew better, knew his kind very well, but how was she supposed to convince her sister of this? After servicing the man, or perhaps before, she would constantly yell and fervidly reprimand Jack for what he was doing to her older sister, but other than that, there wasn't much she could do.

Consequently, there was no possible way Claire could have been anyone else's. Jack was the _only_ person to have ever gotten Kat to bed, and therefore, Claire was his, had to be. Nor was she a product of unfaithfulness to Leah. Claire had been conceived, well, almost a year before Jack had even _met_ the daughter of the governor of Port Royale, and she must have been born… most likely right before or right after he met said lady, most likely the former. So… this must have been _why_ Scarlet had smacked him that night in Tortuga, the night Gibbs was finding them a crew to go after Barbossa and the _Black Pearl_. Apparently, he _had_ deserved it.

And him, after he'd met Leah… he just hadn't been able to see Kat. Oh yes, he had his share of excuses, of "reasons" that he fed himself, but the truth of the matter was, he just couldn't. He couldn't face her. It was as simple as that. At first, it was only the fact that he had just met Leah and wanted to see how things worked with her. Kat would be there no matter what, after all. He knew that he could always seek her out and she'd be there, no questions asked… but then, after he found himself in, well, _love_ with the young Miss Swann, he just couldn't bear to see Kat.

So, the night he saw her, only a short while after he'd learned Leah was pregnant with their soon-to-be son Jonathon (though Jack would _never_ call him Jonathon, but John, just as no one ever called Katherine "Katherine", but "Kat"), their meeting was far more bitter than sweet. She was all smiles and sweetness and didn't act in the least bit upset or angry, but in a way, that would have been better. He could see the hurt in her eyes, could hear it in her voice and in the way she spoke, and it was clearly visible from her visibly haggard appearance, from the shadows under her eyes, the far too thin face with the cheekbones jutting out, the whole of her practically emaciated and altogether sickly, completely unlike what she had been like before, that things were not going well for her. Altogether, the meeting nearly broke his heart.

When she left, they had spoken for barely ten minutes, but that had been enough. She left all grace and smiles, but he could tell the encounter had done her far more harm than good, could tell that she was leaving to just be by herself and cry, bawl her heart out. Her hope was gone, and though he tried to call after her as she walked away, she did not even turn, did not even look back. She walked away, and he left it at that. How was he to know that he had fathered her child, that she was miserable beyond words? And how was he to know that she had taken seriously ill and would soon start coughing up blood until her final demise?

She had said not one word about any sort of child that day, _not one word_. If she had, it wasn't as if he would have abandoned her! He tried not to give it much thought after that, and more or less even succeeded, but, for him to have not even known that she had died…

And Claire looked just like her.

"I didn't abandon her, Scarlet," Jack argued softly, but the words sounded hollow even to him. 

"Jack-" Leah began, but Scarlet interrupted her.

"Right," she smirked, but then changed the subject. She had come here for a purpose. "But like I said, it's your turn now. I've raised her all by meself for over a year now, and it's _your_ turn, Pa. I gotta take care of m'self, and you're her dad, aintcha? Now take her." Again, Jack said nothing, and giving him a small bitter smile, Claire's aunt bent down beside her niece, taking both of her little hands in her own. Without saying a thing, little Claire looked up into her aunty's face. "I'm gonna leave you with this nice man now, darlin'," she said, the tone she used far gentler than the one she used with Jack.

"Bu' why?" Claire asked, her small heart-shaped mouth forming the sweetest of pouts, her eyebrows coming together and forming the smallest of creases in the middle of her brow.

"He's your da', and it's about time ya went to live with him on his nice pretty ship. You'll love it, I promise ya." Claire didn't respond, only turned to look at Jack. His face was utterly devoid of emotion as he glanced at the girl, and then back at Scarlet as she straightened, her utterly exposing low-cut jade green dress rustling softly with the motion, though he couldn't hear it. "Just… take her Jack. You owe it to Kat, at the least."

After only a moment's hesitation, Jack nodded. "Aye, I'll take her."

Not even a trace of happiness on her face, Scarlet nodded, completely and utterly grave. "Thank you," she said quietly, and then turned her head to take a good look at the little something beside her. Tears were springing to her eyes, and it was taking all she had to keep them at bay.

"You be a good girl, eh?" Scarlet asked of the girl.

"'K," Claire agreed, nodding.

"Goodbye, love," whispered Scarlet, gave her niece a kiss on the cheek, and then she was gone.

One would expect that the little two-year-Claire would burst into tears at the sudden departure of the only thing her conscious mind had ever known as a mother, but no. Instead, after staring off in the direction Scarlet had gone off in, she turned to Leah and Jack, mainly to the latter. Tentatively, she took one step forward. "Da'?" she inquired, taking another.

"Jack, are you… I hate to say this, but are you certain she's yours?" Leah asked, tearing her eyes off of the little redhead and facing her husband. He was giving the girl a small grin and making a beckoning motion with his hands. Once she reached him, he took one good look at her and asked her if she wanted to sit. She nodded "yes", and put her hands out to be lifted. With only the smallest hesitation, he hoisted her up and put her on his lap. "Jack…" Leah pressed.

Looking away from Claire (she looked _so much_ like her mother, small nose, slightly pointed chin, and basically the whole package _identical_ to Kat', that it almost hurt), he turned to face Leah, his face uncharacteristically serious. "She's mine, luv. I'd be willing to bet the _Pearl _on it. She's mine."

Wordlessly, Leah swallowed and nodded. And just like that, the _Black Pearl_ now had two toddlers growing up on it, something very awkward and difficult for the crew at first. A system was soon worked out, though, and before long, everyone loved the two, even welcomed their presence. Anamaria and Gibbs were soon called "Aunty" and "Uncle", and were bombarded with questions by the highly inquisitive redhead. Cotton's parrot was a favorite of young Claire, and she spent time on end laughing over it and playing with it, bringing a smile to its old owner's face.

Though at first, Leah also had absolutely _no_ idea how to treat Jack's daughter, she soon grew to love Claire as her own, and treat her as such. The same occurred on Claire's part, and an eerily flawless pronunciation of "Leah" soon grew into "Ma" or "Mom" or "Mommy", just as Jack was "Pa" or "Dad" or "Daddy". And before long, it was as normal as normal could be.

Within three months of the day, Leah and Jack's marriage was common knowledge, mainly because of Leah. The fact that everyone seemed to know this now was certainly difficult… especially for Jack, but after a time, it was old news. That was what it was now, old news. But apparently, their children, Claire and John, were not.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Her thoughts of the past had really gotten Leah thinking. She and Jack had been through so much together, and this "no speaking" business was utterly childish! So, she made the first move, said the first words as she jumped to the dock from the gently swaying boat. "Jack?"

"Aye?"

"You're a miserable cheating bastard." And with that, she walked away, set on finding the portion of their crew that Jack would no doubt miss. Just because she saw what fools they were being, it didn't mean her anger had dissipated any. If anything, remembering all those hurtful events that she had supposedly "forgiven" at a time when any and all professions of love seemed to be complete false… well, these memories had only managed to build up the fire within her to a roaring thousand-foot high blaze. The hurt was buried deep within it, a lone stone below the kindling that could not be devoured by the flames, and though pushed away into a hidden recess of shadow, it was something that was nevertheless there.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**A/N**: So, watchall think? Any good? As Jack is going to be in the closet for the next chappie or two, a FULL HOUR in there with him for every reviewer!!!

Jack: Why do you sell me for reviews, luv?

Me: Cuz it's fun.

Jack: You are a sick sick girl, you realize that, eh?

Me: But of course!

**Jinxd**: Glad ye like, mate. And I read. VERY nice. ~XD

**TriGem**: Yup, things are just kinda all-round _bad_ for all involved, right now… except for maybe Eric, Swanson, and their crew of merry miscreants. But Gov. Swann really does care about the kids, he does! He's just too enrapt in politics and yeah… @.@ And sadly, as for now… on with the drama and guilt. :P

**Sara**: Woot! XD Fun being an author… Thankees! And YOU CAN'T GET JACK! SO HA!

**Gwyn**: Aw, I'm sry! But context clues very fun. :P And I'm SO sorry for that long wait for the update… life is TOO hectic. Hoping this was worth the wait! :P

**jeyke**: Yupperz. Now can they get along, _that's_ the real question.

**Vagrant**: Why, what's wrong with being evil? O:-) And a drama queen? O.o :P ;-)

**Keira**: Hehehe, definitely. He's lucky Leah doesn't murder him in his sleep and take the _Pearl_ with him. And I'm really glad ye enjoyed, mate. Here's hoping this chap was also up to thy standards! :-D

**Sarra**: Hehe, don't worry, the doggy toy is safe. I have pitchforks with witch to prod, poke, and otherwise jab, and Jack's going back in the closet next chappie. 'Sides, Leah only has a stuffy nose now. As for thy question, I'm thinking it's going to be WAY longer. O.o Here's hoping that's good! ;-) And YEEEK, EVIL DENTIST! RUN! FAST AND FAR! TO THE HILLS OF ASIA!!! Oh, wait, the appointment has already come and gone…. Oops. How'd it go, then? :-P Didja beat him? And don't beat me cuz it took me so long to update! Pweeeeeez…? *big wide eyes to the point of anime and offers cookies* (And GO LONG REVIEWS! WOOT'! ~XD)

**Kizume**: Hehe, did I mention I LOVE ye for betaing? *Gives a lifetime supply of "closet" passes* And you got your advance copy! Woot!

**Riley**: Yupperz, mucho happenings in the world of Pirates. Where will it all end? Dundundun…! As for flashbacks, well, here was one giant one, and I should have 'em scattered throughout, I think, elaborating on alla this. Hope ye enjoyed this one! :-D

**Kirie**: Hehehe, Ash is confuzzled…

**Shane**: Yayios, I'm glad you like! :-D


	5. A Meeting With Friends

**A/N**: Normal chappie length again, guys. Sorry for those who like long chapters. Anyway, I got this one up faster! Woot! XD I really WAS planning on getting this one up earlier, but circumstances did not permit. *Sighs* Ah well, hope y'all enjoy!

**A/N2**: Due to certain… activities that Jack has been up to that have really tired him out, he shall not be making an appearance insulting my chappie as he is apt to do. *Eyeroll* He should be back next time, all! :-D

            *****Special thanks to Pendragon and Kizume for betaing**

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Leah sighed and collapsed into a free chair at one of the few free tables left in the _Raging Rum._ Bitterly, she mused over what an _original_ and _insightful_ name it was for an establishment such as this, but really, she didn't much care. It wasn't as if it was her first time visiting the place after all. After a half hour of searching, she'd only been able to locate two of the crewmembers, two fairly _new_ crewmembers, Pickpocket Pete (gee, what _another_ original name!) and Silver Tongue. It was a little ironic. Many pirates did not even _have_ such eccentric nicknames, she had come to find, while these two did.

Sharply, she'd sent the two away from their game of cards and to the _Pearl_. True, she supposed she could have been kinder about it… and not snapped at the pair… and not drawn her sword… but in the mood she'd been in, still _was_ in, who could blame her?

"Anythin' the matter, Leah?" a voice inquired, interrupting her angry musings. Startled, Leah jumped in her seat, but then relaxed upon seeing just who it was.

"Aye, 'Lise, I'm fine. Just… well, let me put it this way. If Jack were here right now, he'd be dead a thousand times over."

"Cheers to that," 'Lise, or Elise as everyone else called her, smirked, taking a seat across from the infamous pirate captain's wife with a flourish and flutter of skirts. "So what'd 'e do now?" Leah and Jack seemed to fight off and on monthly-at the very least-and even though they had been getting along far better as of late, their all-out battles were still fairly common.

"Oh, nothing too surprising," Leah informed her, smiling sardonically. " He's only made our entire marriage null and void and completely renounced any and all love for me at a time when our children have been kidnapped, and, to make things even better, he won't tell me why."

"_What_?!"

"That was my reaction at first, too."

"Holy… how did _this_ 'appen?"

As one of the "working women" of Tortuga, i.e. working the men, Elise had met Leah after "completing" a job, and although Leah had been predisposed to _strongly_ dislike her from the onset, especially since she _met_ said woman right after watching Jack take two brunettes up to a room for some entertainment, she had soon found her to be a trustworthy and downright wonderful person. The night Leah had met her, her arms crossed as she leant against a wall near the stairs to the second floor, Leah had watched the three move up the steps and out of sight scowling, and so enrapt was she in this fine activity, she hadn't even noticed the approach of someone who was presently _not_ drunk nor involved in a bar fight.

"Friend o' yours?" Elise had asked, coming up beside Leah and leaning against the wall beside her, her waist-length mahogany locks up in a messy bun. She had had an _idea_ as to just _who_ this young lady glowering in the direction of the notorious Captain Jack Sparrow's exit, but she wasn't entirely certain…

"Perhaps," Leah had responded shortly, only sparing the whore a glare. With her lips rouged, her face powdered, and that _extremely_ revealing jade dress on, it hadn't been difficult to determine just what this young five foot six woman's occupation was. "Why is it any concern of yours?"

"Oh, jus' curious. I don' mean any offense by it, doll. Promise."

"Uh…huh," Leah had replied, eyebrow raised, and then she'd pushed herself off of the wall. "Well, it was a real pleasure speaking with you," she'd said, inclining her head in Elise's direction, and just like that, she had begun her walk towards the exit.

After only a moment's hesitation, Elise had called after her, no longer any doubt in her mind as to this strange young woman's identity. _No one_ in Tortuga, especially no woman who would frequent a place such as _this_, spoke that way, so _eloquently_ and in such an educated manner. Slang was far more common, and the "crispness" in that young lady's tone, a lady about Elise's age, actually, was _very_ uncommon for "commoners" like herself. "Eh, wait! You're Leah Swann, aintcha?"

Leah had halted mid-stride, chewing the inside of her lip while debating whether or not to stay… and had finally turned, deciding to speak to this woman who knew who she was. And it was a good thing she had, for, after learning more about Elise, she quickly grew to like her, and visa versa. In fact, the two became the best of friends.

And this was why Leah's utterly repugnance of the "working women" diminished, and why Leah could talk to Elise _now_. This was why she was able to actually _tell_ her what ailed her. She could always talk to Elise.

But (and there was always a "but", wasn't there?), this wasn't the _time_.

Sighing, Leah closed her eyes for a moment, putting a hand to her forehead, but then opened the gray-blue orbs back up, allowing her hand to fall to the table. She really _didn't_ have time for this, not at all. The lives of Claire and John depended on her, and she couldn't just go off talking to her friend because she _felt_ bad.

Leah was about to get up, make her farewell, and leave, her arms already braced against the tabletop… when she suddenly went slack, putting her head down upon the dull, scratched, and chipped wood. She couldn't do this, she couldn't handle this. She just… this was too much. Jack, she could handle. Being a pirate, battles, all of that, she could handle. But this, her _children_, taken from where they had supposedly been safe… it was just too much.

"Leah, you alright, doll?" 'Lise asked softly, and with a rustle of the jade that made up her _really_ very low cut dress, she moved to the opposite side of the table, kneeling down beside Leah and putting a comforting hand on her back.

"No, no I'm not," she whispered brokenly, and Leah began to sob.

"Oh Le'," Elise murmured, and took her friend into her arms, tightly embracing her. If there was something Leah needed right now, more than anything else, it was a friend, and, perhaps even more importantly, a hug. 

Before long, the tale came out, everything that had happened. Leah told Elise about how, while the _Black Pearl_ was away on a particularly dangerous venture, Claire and John had been left with Elizabeth, Will, and her father in Port Royale. She then told her about their kidnapping at the hands of "Eric and Swanson", the former of whom had left that damned note. Last, but nowhere near least, however, was, well, Jack. Captain Jack Sparrow, scourge of the Spanish main, the legend, the captain of the _Black Pearl_… a cold, heartless bastard who seemed to enjoy making his wife suffer as much as humanly possible.

"God, Le', I'm so sorry," Elise said, now sitting beside Leah on a chair she had pulled over, her arm still wrapped around the female pirate.

"Not your fault, 'Lise, but thanks," Leah smiled, occasional sniffles now the only traces of the brokenhearted sobbing that had overtaken her just moments ago. She truly was thankful for her friend's company, and would probably have been in a far worse state had Elise _not_ been there.

This conversation would have continued on its current path for a good while… had it not been for what happened next, had it not been for a certain someone who came up to their table (how he found the two of them in _this_ crowd, the two females would never know), cocky as always.

"Havin' fun, ladies?" he grinned, grabbing the chair Elise had discarded and turning it so that its backside faced the table. He then took a seat, his arms resting on the back ofit with one leg on either side of the seat. He absolutely oozed arrogance and good humor… though when he saw Leah's bloodshot eyes and tearstained face (it was bloody _obvious_ she'd been crying), his smile quickly evaporated. "Leah, you all right?" he asked.

Ah Kevin, he never failed to cheer Leah up.

"I'm fine," she assured him.

"Uh huh, and I'm the Governor of Port Royale, which'd be really disturbing if you thought about it." Heh, he was right. After what they had done before Jack had caught them, and seeming that the Governor of Port Royale was her _father_… Leah actually laughed. A trace of his smile had now returned, and Kevin continued. "So wha' happened? You an' Jack argue 'bout what to argue 'bout again?"

Leah's face darkened, and underneath the table, her right hand clenched into a tight fist. If, out of sheer necessity, her nails hadn't been short little stubs, her palm would have been bleeding out of minute little crescents already. Hell, she'd have little crescent moon _scars_ in her palm already. "You could… say that."

The man's mirthful expression softened. "That bad, huh?"

She nodded.

Though Elise had not as of yet said one word to Kevin, she chose this particular moment to speak up. "Leave 'er be for a minute, eh? Things aren't that great." Though she was utterly smitten with the pirate sitting before her, the _only_ man in all of Tortuga to have ever succeeded in catching her "interest" (in her occupation, her heart would have been broken a hundred times over by now if many men succeeded in this venture), Elise nevertheless did nothing about it. She wasn't shy or timid, no. If anyone ever told her that she was, she would have laughed in their face and thanked them for the amusement. However, she did have a barrier about herself, one that really did not allow for any romance. It was dangerous on account of the "work" she did, because of what she did merely to make ends meet. However, though she was easily able to speak to and carry off an intelligent conversation with the man, Elise nevertheless found herself simply staring at Kevin at times, allowing his words to flow over her and caress her, oblivious to most else. This, though, was not one of those occasions.

There was a moment of silence, between the three of them at least, one in which Elise comfortingly ran her hand up and down Leah's slumped back, the female pirate's head resting on her arms on the rough tabletop, and in which Kevin thought matters over. Finally, the male of the trio spoke.

"Le', I get it if you don't wanna talk about it or ya just don't want me ta know, but-"

"The kids were kidnapped. Claire and John… were kidnapped," Leah interrupted, letting out a whoosh of air as she brought her head up, sliding her arms back towards her.

Kevin blinked. "_What_! How?"

Ugh, she felt tired. She just wanted to curl up and sleep, to sleep and sleep and never wake up… and she _needed_ to get to the _Pearl_. _What_ was she doing sitting in a bar with her friends talking about how John and Claire had been kidnapped when the two said toddlers didn't _need_ words! They were in danger of imminent death! They needed bloody _aid_! So _what_ was she doing here? Why didn't she get up and leave?

The answer was simple. She couldn't get up. She just couldn't. Nor could she speak about this again. Beseechingly, Leah looked to Elise. "Could you tell him? Please? I can't. I-I should be leaving. I have to go, I… can you? Can you just-"

"Sure thing, hun," 'Lise smiled, still unconsciously rubbing her friend's back, and turned to Kevin. "I might get a bit wrong 'ere, but Le' can correct me if I do, so here goes. Basically…" And so, Elise told the young male pirate just what had occurred, sparing no details. All the while, Leah would say little comments, put in little details, or make minute corrections, and so, Kevin gradually found out what had occurred.

After the story was told, he sat with his elbows on the tabletop, his chin resting on his knuckles, contemplative. After he had completed his musings, as best as he could given the current time constraints, that is, he sat up. "Well one thing's obvious," he stated, "Ye can't take the _Pearl_."

"What? Why-oh." In the rush of getting to Tortuga, in her panic of losing her children, in her fear of losing both them and Jack _forever_, in her consequent _anger_ with the captain of the _Black Pearl_, Leah had forgotten that… well… Eric and Swanson wanted the _Black Pearl_ on top of everything else. They couldn't very well take it straight to them!

"'Oh' 's right," Kevin agreed, standing and picking his chair up,setting it down beside Leah, Elise situated on her opposite side. "So I'm gonna take you two on me ship." Before Leah could protest, he continued. "Ah!" he said, holding up his forefinger, "No, Le'! Nooooo. No way you're talkin' me outta that one, and the same goes for Jack. Ok?"

After only a moment's hesitation, she answered hi, defeated. "Fine."

He grinned. "Good. But, I have ta ask you this. Do you have any plan? For figuring out whether or not Claire an' John are still alive? Or did you an' Jack have your dear lover's quarrel 'fore that could happen and jus'… not even talk it over?" He really had a sneaking suspicion-more like common sense and intuition were screaming, really-that the two hadn't spoken about any such thing.

"Plan?" she remarked absently, and shook her head, the braids swishing lightly this way and that with the gentle force of her head turning. Well, she was certain that _Jack_ had a plan, but one that he would share with her? Ha! Glancing at Elise, who sat with her hands folded in her lap as she watched the proceedings before her intently with her sharp clear blue eyes, Leah had an idea. A wonderful, splendid idea. A plan of her own. Wickedly, she grinned, looking back and forth between the two on either side of her. "Hmmm… Actually, I myself might just have a plan…"

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**A/N**: Come on, review, you know you want to! Least I want you to! ;-)

**Keira**: Yes, yes he is. And glad ye enjoyed! XD

**Jinxd**: *blinkety blink blink* They did? Oooh, thanks! *Huggles* I'm glad the long long time it took me to write this chappie and the constant edits were worth it. And I think it's either shined or shone… Pretty sure either work. As for beta readers, I could be one, if you like. O.o And your chappies are absolutely splendiferous as is, so hush! :-P

**Kizume**: Yayios! Rereadings enjoyed even! Woot! *dances* And dontcha worry, closet pass is there to STAY. XD *Prods Jack* He's such a silly goose…. that needs to be smacked at times. :-P Anywayz, REALLY glad you liked! And I actually found time to write! Woot! Chappie was almost up on time. ;-) XD

**Shane**: Hehe, glad you enjoyed thy reward for reviewing. ;-) And I promised y'all flashbacks, didn' I? :-P Anywayz, glad ye ALSO enjoyed that!

**Sara**: Yeah, Jack is… _special_, I'll give him that. *Pokes Jack* I'm glad it was realistic, though. :-D Glad you liked!

**venus**: Yes, if only Jack was the loyal from the onset type… ah well. Beggars can't be choosers. And I tried to update fast! I really did! I'm sowwy if it took too long! I'm very glad you enjoyed! Hoping this chappie is up to thy standards. :-P

**Lauren**: Wowzers, you read it all? Thank you! *Huggles* I'm bloody overjoyed you likethed it so much! Here's hoping ye shall enjoy the rest as well! XD

**Luny Lady**: Yes, I try not to do everything stereotypical and keep it fairly original, but then again, that's what me muse cooks up. :P I luvvle Fred. *Huggles Fred, who smacks her (Fred's mean…)* And all right, it's comforting knowing that even if I don't get a review, you shall be reading, but pweez review? Pweez? Even if it's just to say you read? *Big beseeching eyes* ;-)

**TriGem**: Ooooooh, two reviews! Nice! *Dances* And lengthy! XD Yousa rock! And yousa read "Toxic" O.o Coolios! Thankees! I'm glad you liked that one too! It was fun to write. I'm awed that that miscarriage scene actually proved to be so intense, though. Hmmm, maybe I'm not such a bad author as I thought. ;-) However, I think maybe you mightta misunderstood one part. She meant to get even with Jack by going all the way with Kevin. In fact, they'd started when, uh, Jack came in… o.O If yousa got this, then completely ignore me as I'm sleep-deprived and don't comprehend things well under said conditions, but if you didn't, now you know. :-P Anywayz, I'm UBER glad yousa enjoyed their past and that it all makes sense now. Hope you enjoy the rest!

**M. Sparrow**: :-D Thankees! Not just on the AGoL compliment, but also for the cookies! I'm sure that girl will love. Meanwhile, enjoy that closet! ;-)

**Riley**: THANK YOU SO MUCH! I LOVE YOU! *huggles to death* Hehe, sorry… I did mess up on the eye color there… I was debating between the two colors and I guess I kinda… stuck both in… O.o Once I decide on which it is (bah, I need to make up my mind), I shall change it. Thanks once again! XD Glad you enjoyed the extra length! :-P EXTRA closet time for you, mate! :D

**Cherish**: Eh, it's fine. I understand being busy, believe me. And I DEFINITELY appreciate the review. :-D Mesa happy that yousa still like! As for Jacky… no, mine! *Sticks out tongue* ;-)

Leah: *Glare*

Me: And hers…

**Gwyn**: Hehe, 'bout TIME you reviewed! ;-) Nah, j/k. And yup, glad I cleared a few things up, even though I really DID tell you. :P And DEFINITELY cya on MSN, mate! Ta!


	6. Jack Vs Everyone Else

**A/N**: A bit shorter than usual, I admit, but I found this chappie fun to write. :-D Sadly, I had to write an essay this week and things were hectic, so this chappie is almost a bloody week late. -_- SO sry, guys! Anywayz, here it is. It's finally Spring Break so another chapter should be up within the week. Enjoy!

**Me: **I died in FFX-2 (Final Fantasy X-2) again!!!

**Jack:** I'm sorry?

**Me:** But, you don't understand! I leveled up, I was all perfect… AND I DIED!!!!!! *cries*

**Jack:** Darling, do you ever consider the fact that you might be _too_ obsessed with that game…?

**Me:** No…..

                        *****Special thanks to Pendragon and Kizume for betaing**

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 "Well luv, I can see how much careful and assiduous thought went into this _ingenious_ plan of yours, and so… there is no way. In hell. That we're doing it." And that was the reception Leah received upon relating her "_ingenious_ plan" to the _ingenious_ Captain Jack Sparrow. Using Kevin's ship, the _Satanic Slumber_, instead of the _Pearl_, that grand course of action received a bloody standing ovation! In fact, he'd been _planning_ on it, given that Kevin had been in Tortuga, of course. Damn good thing he was. If he hadn't been, Jack would have had to seek out someone else, and consequently someone he didn't trust half as much.

"And who gives you the authority to decide _this_, Jack? After all, they're half mine, are they not? And it's _my_ bloody plan, one that barely even involves you."

"You forget just one very important thing, Leah," he said, emphasizing the "one" with his right hand, "they're a _quarter_ yours. Oh yeah, and in case you happened to forget, darling, I'm the captain of this ship, savvy? And while I'm captain, there is no way we will ever be doing anything of that sort."

The hint of a smile dancing about his lips, Kevin raised his hand just ever so slightly, reclining back on a high-backed chair in the dining room of the Captain's cabin, his feet up on the table. "Jack, you're forgetting somethin'" he said, as calm as can be. 

Before Kevin had said this, Leah and Jack had been standing at the head of the table, on opposite sides, Leah with both her palms on the tabletop, leaning forward, Jack doing very much the same, having already had his fair share of pacing. It was comical, really, just how close together their faces had been and how neither one of them had _noticed_.

Meanwhile, Elise had been sitting in her seat calmly, her elbows on the table with her head resting in her hands, trying oh so very hard to keep her amusement from showing. She was irritated at Jack for his vehement objection of Leah's plan, true enough, but the way those two bickered… She couldn't help it; it was _funny_! 

After Kevin's comment, though, the positions of everybody in the room changed.

"And what's that, mate?" Jack asked, turning his head with a great sweep of his long hair. He was still bent over the table, and the strands of black just missed smacking Leah in the face. Noticing this, realizing just how close her face had been to Jack's… she straightened up, unconsciously smoothing down her shirt as she faced Kevin as well. Noticing her as she stood up straight, Jack followed suit.

"Well Jack, it's not _your _ship we're takin', remember? It's mine, making _me _the acting captain. And I say we use 'er plan."

"Ah, but you're forgetting one very important thing yourself there, Kev'. I'm key in her little plan, and if I don't go along with it, they can't do it."

"But Jack," Leah broke in quietly, smiling with her head cocked to the side, hands on her hips, "now _you're_ forgetting something. 'Lise an' I are dead if you _don't_ go along with it, and you don't want that, do you? The deaths of poor 'Lise and little ol' me on _your_ hands, not to _mention_ the children, the three quarter yours children?" By the end of this dialogue, Leah had her hand to her chest (placed there on the word "me"), her last statement having been dripping in sarcasm, said entirely in a mocking tone of voice.

"Personally, I don' feel like dyin' anytime soon, Jack," Elise informed him, picking her head up off of her hands and sitting up.

"No, I don't suppose you would, luv."

"So waddya say, Jack?" Kevin questioned, lithely jumping to his feet and covering the short distance separating them in a few long, confident strides. He then stuck out his hand for a handshake, which was customary in these types of agreements.

"Well it appears I'm outnumbered," Jack commented, stating the obvious but in a way that didn't degrade him in the _least_ (Leah absolutely _loathed_ his ability to do that). Apparently defeated, he grasped Kevin's arm with his own hand, the younger of the two doing the same, and then they let go.. "All right, _Captain_, we have an accord. However, the rest of this we do my way, savvy? I took care of Eric and Swanson once, and I'll do it again, long as you don't cross me."

"Oh yes, we wouldn't want another mutiny, now would we?" Leah smirked, and left the room, the door crashing shut behind her. Under normal circumstances, she would never have said this, or anything _remotely_ like this… but these were not normal circumstances, and Jack had already hurt her so deeply, she no longer cared _what_ she said to him. Later on she would regret it, this snide remark, and later on she would feel the guilt, but for now… for now, she only felt a cold sort of satisfaction.

And Jack only felt an icy hurt and rage that he was a master at concealing.

"If you two do that on me ship, yer gonna break it, you know…" Kevin informed with a frown, not realizing the severity of what Leah had just said, his right hand scratching the back of his head both fretfully and uncomfortably. "Ye two are gonna utterly _destroy_ it…"

This time, Elise could not hold back her laughter, though it was far more nervous than before. This time, Leah just might have gone too far, and Jack… Jack didn't think he deserved it.

Barely an hour later, the four of them, Kevin, Jack, Leah, and Elise-in this very order-found themselves on the _Satanic Slumber_. The _Pearl_'s crew had been informed of the situation, and Anamaria and Gibbs told to watch out for any strange behavior from the men, just to make certain none of them had betrayed Jack and Leah and informed Eric and Swanson about certain key things, such as just when the children would be in Port Royale, where they would be, who to look for, etc.

 And now… now it was time to go. Very good thing Kevin had just been planning to set sail. His crew was already all aboard the ship. Ah yes, and it was an even better thing that he'd gone into that pub for one last drink. And it was a bloody _stupendous_ thing that he had discovered Leah and Elise there. 

Speaking of Kevin… a huge grin plastered on his face, the man greeted his crew, gathering them together and telling them of how they were going to take a "tiny detour" to help a friend and get "riches bloody _unimaginable_, mates!" on the side. Kevin was such a skilled orator that the majority of the crew was hooked from the get-go, charmed completely. Those that weren't acting as though Kevin had just announced that he was going to give each and every one of them their very own pot of gold, they were intrigued (at the very least). 

And so, the men (for there was not one woman aboard Kevin's ship) got to work getting the _Satanic Slumber_ in tiptop sailing shape. Naturally, though, they hadn't been told the _whole_ story of what was going on, just bits and pieces (and little white lies), just enough to whet their appetites. Jack had a reputation to keep, after all. And besides, for them to know would only complicate matters.

As his crew busied itself with last minute preparations, the captain of the _Satanic Slumber_ turned to have some speaks with that of the _Black Pearl_. "Jack, we need to know _where_ we're goin' if we wanna get anywhere. Ya know this."

"Not… necessarily, Kev'."

"Jack…"

"I can't tell you that, mate."

"Eh?"

"I'm going ta have to steer her meself, Kev'. You won't be able to find where we're going, trust me."

"And why's that, again? Jack, we're going ta find out where the place is anyway, so-"

"No, it's not that. Let's just put it this way, eh? There's no way to find it unless you already know where it is, and not only that, but unless you've seen the map. And as I assume no one on this ship has seen the map…"

"A curse, huh?"

"Precisely."

"Well we still need a headin', sad to say, so give it up anyway, huh? Else we're really _not_ goin' anywhere."

After only the barest hesitation, Jack got out his compass and glanced at it before looking back up. He gave Kevin the heading.

"What? But Jack, there isn't anythin' _out_ there. I've been tha-oh right… the curse."

Jack grinned. "The curse, though this time it's not really a curse. More like… protection, savvy? Unless you've seen the map, you can't spot the isle _unless_ someone who has is leading you there."

Kevin grinned back at his friend, the man with whom it had taken _months_ to get decent relations with again. "I'm surmising ye've seen the map then, eh Jack?"'

"Surmise all you want, captain," he replied in as aloof a manner as possible, that cocky smile still on his face, and turned, his compass yet held in one hand as he made his way to the wheel.

Leah and Elise, both of who had been standing in the background but inconspicuously listening in on the unsuspecting men, glanced at each other. Leah was about to make some sort of comment to the female beside her when Kevin, just remembering that the two of them were there, turned and, jokingly, gave the two a bow, one arm outstretched. "Why, welcome to me humble home, ladies. I bid ye two ta enjoy whatever fine hospitality I can offer.."

"This isn't me first time on a ship, Kev'," Leah reminded, one eyebrow cocked with one hand unconsciously balanced off of the butt of her pistol.

"Not mine neither," Elise informed. She'd been taken on ships before, though never on a voyage, having been born in raised in Tortuga only to take up her mother's-God rest 'er soul-old occupation. Various sailors had, well, _escorted_ her to their various vessels to perform certain _activities_ with them. In other words, she was used to ships. Leah had even taken her aboard the _Pearl_ a few times, much to the envy of her fellow "unfortunates".

However, Kevin's completely dramatized "welcome" was quite the entertainment.

Kevin just shook his head in response two these two _wonderful_ women. "You two aren't any fun, ya realize?"

Elise gave him a small smile, her eyes twinkling with a mischievous sort of cunning. "Kev', luv, you wouldn't know the half of it." And with that, grabbing Leah's arm in her own, the lady stalked away, leaving a _very_ intrigued, not to mention _interested_, Kevin in her wake.

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**Jack:** Bit hostile towards my character, isn't it, luv?

**Leah:** You forget that this actually happened and that you deserved it. -_-

**Jack:** How exactly did I deserve that, Leah?

**Me:** *giggles* You two are so CUTE when you bicker!

**Jack and Leah:** *glare*

**Me:** Oh hush… 

**Keira**: Yeah, poor Le'… Mesa feel bad for the gal, though when she's mad, she does make very…. stupid remarks. O.o And dontcha worry, ye'll find out her plan soon enough. :P

**TriGem**: Thankees! Mesa glad you likethed the chappie! And Gippal (in my strange world, Gippal=yay), go friends! Kevin really is a good guy, though, even if he did make a really stupid mistake that day in allowing Leah to seduce him. O.o As for the two plans… well they coincide, more or less. Sorta. Eh, ye'll see. :P

**Vagrant**: You know, I wonder that myself at times… but it's the sign of true love. Incessant bickering. O.o -_-

**jeyke**: Me=MOI!!! XD No one else, just the odd odd being you see before you. And thankies, I'm glad you enjoyed the chappie! And woot! Updated!

**Gwyn**: Bonjour, ca va? Hehe. :P And oooh, thanks for catching that! Bloody typos… -_- And go good moods! I'm in one right now as well. :-D Wheeeee! And now, you hurry your bum and update your OWN bloody fic! Your beta is gonna prod you with sharp sticks if you don't! :-P lol Yup, so anywayz… Ta! Hope usa enjoyed this chappie as well!

**M-SPARROWZ**: Yupperz, you've hit Elise dead-on. Heck, you've hit the whole thing dead on! Go you! *Gives her reviewer various cookies in the shape of little tri-corner hats and ships* Both Kev' and 'Lise are really great, though. Glad you likethed them! As for Leah and Jack making up… you'll see, mate. It might take a while, I warn you, but I swear, those two WILL have a lovey-dovey moment… or two. ;-) They shall make up…. Eventually. :-P

**Sara**: Hehe, yes, I swear, they will do one or the other eventually. Have patience! :P And I'm glad Elise is a good character. Seems that most people like her. Gippal! 

**Chaos**: Hehe, patience, young grasshopper. Good things come to those who wait! ;-)

**Sarra**: Hehehe, laziness is a virtue. (At least, to a procrastinator like me, it is… until I actually have to do what I've been putting off, that is. -_-) And yeah, donthca HATE it when the dentist does that? They ask you questions. Are you supposed to communicate with them _telepathically_ or somethin'? In reality, it ends up much like this: "So how's school?" "Arregawavan li'nkraaaaaaa" "That's wonderful, dear." *Clears throat* Um yeah, so anywayz… heh, I see most everyone wants those two to stop bickering, eh? Patience, young grasshopper! And thankees on the "good writer" compliment! XD I sorta meant to do that, make it seem like Jack for a second there that is. And ROFL@ the pigeon story. I feel SO horrible for your cousin… but that is freakin' hilarious! XDAnd very good thing looks CAN'T kill, then. O.o

**Ney**: I KNEW those excuses would come back to haunt me… *shakes head* Eh, it's all right. As you a can tell, I understand busy-ness and not doing stuffs, even if you want to. (Assuming you want to read this here. ;-)) Anywayz, Gippal! I succeeded in making the gal more mature! *Dances* I was trying to get that across, though I wasn't sure I succeeded. And Jack does make everything splendiferous… when he's not being a pain, that is. ;-)

**venus**: Oooh, thankees for the compliments! I'm very glad you like, and that my introduction of Elise and Kev' worked so well. And don't be bloody jealous! I'm sure thy writing is just as good! Just hurry up and get it online so that people can read and tell ye the same. ;-)

**Kirie**: o.O You disturb me… Greatly… *creeps towards the phone and dials* Hello, men in white coats?

**Shane**: 'Fraid you're gonna have to wait just a bit more for it, mate. Hope yousa like it! ;-P

**Riley**: Yes, and thou art an awesome reviewer! *Gives cookies* I'm still debating the eye color…. Hmm, ok, I promise you this: by the time this fic is over, Claire will have a definite eye color, though at the moment, I'm leaning more towards cerulean. ;-) Anywayz, WOOT, someone else likes those two! Gippal! *dances* Yup, Kevin's a key character in this li'l fic' o' mine, and he was originally not even going to be in it! Heh, odd, innit? And another person who wants these two ta make up! Patience, patience! All thing things in time. :-P

**Kizume**: I'll update soon as ye beta so nah! :-P (Hehe, you've betaed by now I know, but at the point in time in which I'm writing, you haven't, though my OTHER beta has. *sticks out tongue* ;-)) Anywayz, I'm sowwy about the writer's block! Evilness! Hopefully, I gave ye SOME help in that department, for one fic at least. AND GET BACK HERE!!!! You're gonna stay with this fic and u're gonna LIKE it, savvy?

**Luny**: (hehe, I've abbreviated thy name nicely, haven't I? ;-)) Gippal! Review review review! *pounces on **Luny Lady** and huggles* Now keep on reviewing, dern ye! Pweeeeeez? *more big wide eyes to the point of anime* :P Heh, anywayz, getting back on topic here… Bloody DELIGHTED that you likethed me chappie! And silly person, 'couse there's a reply to thy review! Always is. :P And nextly… Leah needs a cookie. *Gives Leah cookie* Though I have to admit, she was a little… mean… in this chappie, though I can't say I blame her. O.o


	7. Conversation in Flirtation and Just a Co...

**A/N**: OO I deserve to be shot. Quartered. And left there. OVER A BLOODY MONTH W/O UPDATING!!!! WHAT is wrong with me? I am DREADFULLY sry, mates. My life has just been very….. yeah…. as of late. I'd love to promise that it'll be 2 weeks TOPS 'tween updates, but as we all know, I'm me and horrible at it. I WILL promise that I will truly try to be faster this time around though. Offers CJS calendars… hehehe… (includes bathing suit pics, fully clothes pics, NOT fully clothes pics…) and Elizabeth Swann ones for any and all reviewers who still R&R, ur choice of which one to take, or whether or not to take both

**A/N2**: Gonna start putting the chappie titles at top of chappies, just in case it's too big for the little box thingy. Enjoy!

**Me:** This is all your fault you know.

**Jack:** You not updating?

**Me:** Yes.

**Jack:** Really now?

**Me: **Yes!!!

**Jack:** You really do blame others for your mistakes, dontcha luv?

**Me:** ……I hate you.

**Jack:** Grin 'Course you do.

**-Special thanks to Pendragon and Kizume for betaing**

* * *

****

**Conversation in Flirtation and just a Conversation**

Well, there was one good thing about that two day long trip to the island at which Claire and John were being held. Unlike during their little voyage to Tortuga in that small, small boat, Leah and Jack did not have to see each other once this time around. The ship was big enough so that the two could very easily stay out of each other's way, not even _glimpse_ each other once… at least, in theory. But Jack was at the wheel, and whenever Leah went up on deck, just whom did she see? Why, Captain Jack Sparrow, of course! How wonderful.

And yet, although both Leah and Jack _wanted_ to speak to each other, though they both had a desire to actually _stop_ this utterly fatuous arguing… they did not. And so, glowering and glaring and other such immature and inimical behavior became fairly routine.

Early on in the second day of this grand expedition, Kevin and Elise were standing together at the main mast of the ship, the former of the two tightening a loose length of rope. The two silently watched as the husband and wife exchanged some snide remarks before the latter made her way below-deck, muttering to herself. So much for the silent treatment.

"Well… at leas' they 'aven't destroyed me ship…" Kevin commented, finishing up his work and brushing his hands off on one another.

"Yet, ye mean," Elise corrected, and glanced up at the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow in all his splendor. She couldn't hold back a frown.

"Ye know," Kevin began, drawing Elise's attention back to him and away from the captain of the _Black Pearl_, "I thought the two of 'em 'd been getting' better as o' late."

"Guess this li'l bicker-fest mus' 've been long overdue then, eh?"

Kevin raised an eyebrow. "Think they're doomed ta battle it out for eternity then, do ya?"

Elise laughed, putting a hand to her lips and shaking her head. The moment she was done, only a small chuckle remaining to betray her good humor, she turned her eyes upwards again, looking directly into Kevin's own. "Close, luv. Not quite."

"What am I missin' then?" he inquired, eyes twinkling mischievously as he took a step forward, closer to her.

"Too much."

"Hmmm? Enlighten me then."

"Those two _can't_ get 'long, somethin' in their nature. They're perfect for each other, don' get me wrong, but I seen it a million times. If Jack had a wee bit less patience, Leah'd be one o' those beaten an' hopeless women ya see 'round. It's not quite the same, but are ya beginnin' to see what I'm talkin' 'bout?"

"Elaborate some more."

Elise sighed. "A'right, pay attention, mate." He waited while she examined his handsome countenance in an attempt to make certain he was doing just this. Momentarily, the brunette female found herself distracted by his beautiful well-chiseled feature, the narrow face with its subtle cheekbones and chin, a soft spray of stubble across his jaw and above his upper lip, his flesh perfectly tanned with his hair in a careless disarray that was somehow incredibly attractive. Attractive, however, was not exactly the first word to pop into her mind when she looked at him.

Mentally, Elise shook herself, gave herself a nice, sharp slap across the face. Now was not the time to _stare_ at the captain of this ship. She was Elise, whore extraordinaire. She had more class than that, at the very least more self-control. Hopefully, he had not noticed that little lapse in the conversation and the way her eyes had wandered… to his lips and other essential body parts especially.

"Right, now Leah an' Jack, ya know how the two o' them are, eh? They're just gonna bicker, they're too bloody hot for one 'nother. They'll get over it in time, but for now, they're gonna havta have a big blow-out every once in a while, 'specially when stuff gets stressful… though I gotta admit, they couldda chosen a better time for it."

"Well they didn't really _choose_ it, ye know."

"I know! Christ Kev', ye know alla this, why're ya havin' me explain it to ya?" He stayed silent, waited for her to continue. "Ugh, fine. From my experience, couples, they're gonna fight, it's in their nature. _That's_ why I never let a man tie me down, leas' not without payin' first."

Kevin, being who he was, instantaneously latched onto this last statement of hers. Moving even closer, he spoke… softly. "And if they pay?" He was pressed up against her now, their eyes locked_… _for the most part.

"Then they get what they paid for, don' they?" she replied coyly, her manner entirely flirtatious.

And, naturally, the two were kissing the very next moment. Not just a light, tender kissing either, oh no, but deep, passionate, their tongues already intertwined as hands ran amuck. Had catcalls from Kevin's lovely crew not interrupted them, the pair just might have gone all the way right on the deck… though it's far more likely that they would have at least gone into the captain's cabin first out of the barest shreds of decency remaining to either.

Pulling away, Kev' grinned and turned to face the majority of his men, sliding his hand down the length of Elise's body to the place where their hips touched, grasping her hand there in his own as he raised his other arm, the left, in a wave to his crew. He bowed, and laughing, Elise joined in, making a grand curtsey while inclining her head in mock courtesy.

"Thank ya, gentlemen!" Kevin shouted, straightening up along with the female beside him. "Hope y'all enjoyed the show!"

More whoops and cheers.

"Take it off!" one voice called from the ratlines.

Another: "Righ' on deck!"

Licentious as always, Elise answered them. "Gladly! Who first?"

This time Kevin doubled over in laughter, and still chuckling, he turned away from the hardworking scoundrels. He was now once again face to face with Elise, their hand still tightly clasped while a mere half-foot separating their bodies, if that. Smiling, the two kissed again, but it was far gentler this time, softer, less heated. Almost begrudgingly, they parted.

"So, do I haffta pay you for that, 'Lise?" he asked quietly, using her nickname, his hands now wrapped around the small of her back, keeping her close.

"It depends, Kev'" she told him, withdrawing one hand from the back of his head, the other sliding lazily down the off-white fabric atop his chest before falling at her side.

"On what, might I ask?"

Smiling almost sadly now, she took a step back out of his arms. She then crossed her own arms, glancing down at the dirty, rough wood of the deck before looking him once again in the eyes. "On whether we get John and Claire back."

Suddenly grim, Kevin watched her retreating back-not necessary an _unpleasant _sight-as she walked away.

"Kevin!" a voice called, snapping him out of his musings and snapping his gaze away from the image of her disappearing below-deck. Distracted, he turned to face the quarterdeck, from which the voice had come. Jack.

"Aye?" he yelled back, walking over and scaling the steps in no time at all, as familiar with the lay of his ship as he was with, well, absolutely nothing else. The back of his hand continued to astonish him at times, but on this ship of his, on the _Satanic Slumber_, there were no surprises… disregarding any and all _people_ aboard his beauty, of course.

Speaking of which… After taking one last look at his compass, Jack snapped it shut and put it back in its rightful place in a pouch at his waist, only then looking up and, after finding Kevin already there, speaking. "We're gonna be there within the hour, two at most. Get your men ready… and get Leah up here."

Kevin grimaced. "Jack, you sure tha' las' bit is a good i-"

"Pretend she's Elise for a second, mate. Savvy?"

"I-_What_?" the younger of the two demanded, strongly taken aback. "Jack-"

"Ah, still in that stage of it, eh?"

"What stage of-" And then he stopped dead, his expression becoming one of, well, by some it could have been taken as horror. Nervously, he let out a laugh. "Jack, she's a woman, a Tortuga whore, naught more 'an that."

Grinning, Jack made to reply, but upon close inspection of Kevin's face, his expression sobered up, and Jack steepled his hands beneath his chin, bowing his head. "Yes, of course. Deepest apologies, mate." His left hand now again on the wheel, Jack continued before Kevin could protest again. "Now, I would very much appreciate it if you could get me dear wife up here. I swear your deck'll be in one piece by the time we're done, pirate's honor."

Kevin could now only do one thing: openly gape at Jack, which was doing absolutely no good. The man had "dismissed" him, it seemed, and his attention was now focused on the horizon, the peak of land clearly visible peeking out from behind it to be specific… Not that Kevin could actually _see _this bit of land. Unlike Jack, he did not have a those with a "trained eye".

After at least half a minute had passed like this, Jack glanced at Kevin as if he had just noticed him and made a motion for him to go already, afterwards focusing on navigating once more. Unable to do anything but simply shake his head, Kevin went to do as the great and mighty Captain Jack Sparrow had commanded, whispering just one thing under his breath, causing the pirate behind him to break out in a small smirk.

"_Never_ lettin' those two on me ship afta this…"

No more than five minutes later, Leah was above deck, sighing as she looked up with her sharp blue eyes, ones that would remind anyone of the early stages of a brewing storm in the tumultuous heavens. She was looking straight at Jack, that dear kind spouse of hers. Taking a deep breath in preparation—"psyching herself up", so to speak—Leah purposefully made her way across the deck, head held high with Jack just visible in her peripheral vision. Ugh, what did he _want_? Did he think she _enjoyed_ this? Did _he_ take some sick satisfaction from it?

In those five minutes that had passed, the captain of the _Black Pearl_ had been prepping himself for this little meeting of theirs as well. However, he wasn't exactly so obvious about it, and he was expecting some sort of confrontation… a major one. He was expecting Leah to come at him fuming and screeching like a banshee out of hell. What he _wasn't_ expecting was for her to appear so… calm. So—dare he so much as think it—_defeated_.

"What do you want, Jack?" she questioned quietly, her eyes downcast. "I have no desire to fight again. None whatsoever." Leah looked up, straight into her husband's eyes. "None. Whatsoever."

Jack took a step away from the wheel, towards her, his left gripping the wheel alone. "Feeling's completely mutual, darling. What say we stop?"

Leah smiled, though it wasn't exactly the most hopeful. "I say it would be too wonderful for words, though just as unlikely."

"Mmmm, not necessarily."

Leah laughed, but mirthlessly. "You really are grand at times, you know that, eh?"

Jack gave her a cocky smile. "Aye, that I am."

Leah mindlessly brushed a braid out of her face, glancing down before looking right back up again. There was a strange shimmer in her eyes, as if there was an overdose of moisture within them. "Do you think… do you think we'll ever get them back, Jack?" Her voice was strained now, thickened, tears escaping and streaming down her cheeks. "Do you think-God, are they still alive? John and Claire, are they-are-"

"Leah, come 'ere, luv," he said every so softly, and she did so without hesitation, weeping helplessly into his chest. Tenderly, he held her, his head atop hers, eyes closed. Kissing the top of her head, Jack stroked her upper back, the hand on her lower back simply holding her close. "It's all right, Leah, it's all right, luv. You're all right, you're fine. John and Claire are fine, and we're gonna get 'em back We're going to get them back, and they'll be fine," he whispered consolingly, hating to see her in such a state. Truth be told, he was just as worried as she, perhaps even more so. After all, he knew what was at stake; he knew the whole story. But he was also Captain Jack Sparrow, and a master at hiding his emotions and putting on a grand old show. In any case, his act worked a good 99% of the time, kept others guessing, so why ruin a good thing? So what if Leah could only see through the façade half the time? _Why ruin a good thing?_

The two of them stayed like that for quite a while, Leah openly sobbing into her husband's chest, the latter simply holding her and murmuring words of comfort. Really, this was helping to solace him just as much as it was her.

"We _will _save them, won't we?" Leah said at last, pulling away slightly, just enough so as to be able to see his face, meet his eyes.

"'Course we will. I got the _Pearl_ back, didn't I?"

"Well, yes…. but that took you nigh ten years. I don't think we have a decade, Jack."

"Well I didn't exactly have that much to _bargain _with till I met the one an' only son of Bootstrap Bill, did I, luv? Now not only do I have what they want, _but_ I also know where to find them, savvy?"

"But Jack…" Stepping away fully now, Leah wiped the tears off of her reddened cheeks and crossed her arms across her chest, meeting his gaze fully, a sharp resolve radiating out of her blood-shot eyes. "_How_ are you familiar with Eric and Swanson? What do they _want_? Bloody hell, _why_?"

"_That_… I can't tell you," he said, illustrating his point with deft fingers threading through the air. "And I am truly sorry for it Leah, but though I love you, I can't."

"Then Jack," she began quietly, her will set, no matter how she did _not_ want to do this, "I'm afraid I cannot be with you. I cannot be with someone who refuses to trust me."

"Leah-"

"I'm serious, Jack. It's not fair, not right. I-I can't take it. I won't."

A pause. "If that be your decision, I'm not going to attempt to talk you out of it, darling." She'd known what she was getting herself into; she still knew what being with him, the rogue Captain Jack Sparrow, meant. If this was what she wanted, so be it. It wouldn't be fair to her any other way. But… he couldn't let her go without _some_ sort of fight, no matter how small. "You're certain you want this?"

No she wasn't, not in the least. She would rather have taken a plunge off of the crow's nest than this… but this was something she had to do. "Yes." Her voice betrayed none of the turmoil she felt, none of the pain. All Jack could see was resolve.

"Then I wish you luck in the rest o' your life," he told her, and after one long, meaningful look was exchanged between the two of them, he wrenched his eyes from hers and brought his attention back to the horizon. He couldn't bear to look at her.

So, he would just let her go, would he? Not put up any type of fight. Simply… let her go. It was easier this way, and one would think it would be far less painful, but after all they'd been through, after everything… in a way, it only made things that much harder, just that much more heart-wrenching. She wasn't even worth that much to him. Just a common strumpet he'd picked up for a bit longer than any of the others. How wonderful.

Leah of course knew that she was lying to herself, that this wasn't the truth, that he loved her very much… but she could not silence that part of her that hurt, that cried out in agony. And she wasn't sure she wanted to, even if she was able to. This was his fault, his damn fault! And if she weakened, she wouldn't be able to hold out, wouldn't be able to make the nice clean break. She could hate herself later. Now was not the time. "After we save Claire and John, I'm gone. We'll decide what to do 'bout them… after. Sa-all right?" Damn, she'd almost used his precious word, "Savvy". She'd actually delighted in saying it before, but now… now it felt as if were an anathema.

He nodded.

Her heart shattered.

She _desperately_ wanted to remain, to pretend as if none of those words had ever left her lips, to stay with him. She longed to just dive into Jack's arms, to let herself comfort him just as he would comfort her… but instead she merely took one last tortured glance and turned away, taking a few hesitant steps down the steps. She refused to look back. Picking up her pace, Leah made her way across the deck, leaving a man who was hurting just as much as she was, who did not want this any more than she did, one who wanted to tell her everything but couldn't, behind.

And Captain Jack Sparrow stood at the helm, the part Leah had once awakened within him writhing to death.

* * *

****

**Jack:** ……You're sadistic, bloody _sadistic_.

**Leah:** I second that!

**Me:** Hey, it happened! And it's not my fault you two are so fun to play with…

**Leah:** You- starts snickering

**Jack:** Joins in

**Me:** Wha-

**Jack:** Fun to play with, eh?

**Me:** Bloody sickos…. --

**Luny**: WOOOT! Asks kindly again Review review review! I'm praying here I haven't lost all me readers cuz o' the long delay. Glad yousa likethed the last chappie though. :P But you luny lady, you…. There's always replies to reviews! :P ;-)

**Kirie**: YEEEEEK! runs from the whip SRY SRY SRY! I updated now though, and WILL make an effort to do so faster…. But maturity? Leah and Jack? Since when? O.o

**Vagrant**: He's Jack. He always deserves it. Prods Jack with a sharp stick….. I'm mean…..

**TriGem**: Well technically they didn't have the same plan. Their plans could just be molded together into one big plan… o.O It's odd, but it works. As for what Leah meant by that comment o' hers, well, she was just EXCEEDINGLY angry with the man and upset and yada yada yada, so she said one of those things we all say that we don't really mean, savvy? But trust me, Jack's hurting just as much as me dear Le' is, though as he's CJS it doesn't show quite as much. (Mesa LOVE long reviews, btb. Keep 'em up! :P)

**Ney**: Heh, thankies, he's fairly simple to read once u watch the movie for a bit and can hear his voice in thy head…. And u know what, I like this one more too. At the very least it's written better… Besides that, I thought up a plot all on me onesies. XD

**Sara**: Guess I'm 'a gonna find out the meaning of that "or else", eh? O.o Don't hurt me! Squees and runs for cover Heh. But seriously, mesa glad u like Elise and Kev'. I wuvvle those two… Licentious the BOTH of 'em. (Hehe, I wuv that word, licentious…. Much like I like "Gippal"…. Gloats )

**Kizume**: OOOH THANKIES!!!! Latches onto her prezzies Sry for not updating so long… mesa very very evil bad person. -- Thanks so much for betaing this chap as well! Very odd that there was naught wrong with it. O.o

**Jinxd**: Evil compy! scolds And YEEEEK, no hurty moi….. Mesa TRY to be a good girl now and update, I swear!

**Keira**: Thankies! Glad yousa liked!

**Sarra**: Hehe, very good thing she recovered so quickly. As for Kev', usa can have him for the next 6 months… on a trial basis. O:-) But u know, I think that's JUST what Leah and Jack need. We can drag 'em out when they get unconscious so they don't die, but they bother me. -- And WOOT to Elise! Throws a cheese and egg parade

**Venus**: Uh uh, no envy, envy bad! :P I am NOT that good of a writer. I just pretend. U on the other hand I am sure do NOT. And GO J/J FOR AWARDS! WOOT! Cheers and throws confetti Very happy me chappie was worth reading, though. Glad usa liked!

**Chaos**: Thou art a grasshopper to me. :D Everyone is. And yeek… Gulp Hoping I did not drive ye away from me fic by the long lack of update.

**Riley**: WOOOOT! Now stay! Lol :D Glad usa enjoyed the argument…. If I was Elise, I wouldda been dying.

oh, and in case any of the rest of u are wondering to, HOW TO PRONOUNCE ELISE: E(like the "e" in "bell")-lees (pronounced exactly like "lease")

As for Kev'… he does that. HE IS A FUNGUS! -- prods him As for L&J making up… they shall one day. :P And dontcha worry, Jack's getting PLENTY o' closet time…..

**CJS**: OO Squees and hides Sry sry sry sry!

**Gwyn**: And very nice chappie that was. :D Kudos to ye. Glad usa likethed this latest one. UBER sympathy on the wrist though. Youchies.


	8. The Deal

**A/N**: Well…. I've updated. Hehehe……. o.o I'm SO SORRY GUYS! I REALLY let too much time go between by updates. I could give off a huge list of excuses as to why I haven't updated (including a wonderful tale about my adventures avec me own CJS, which, incidentally did not work out, but ah well), but really, I still should have. SO sry mates, can't say much more than that. And yes, I know you've heard it all before but I AM gonna try to update more. Seriously. THIS FIC WILL NOT BE ABANDONED! SAVE THE PORCUPINES!

**A/N2**: OOOOOOOO, as the very next reviewer shall be the 100th, this reviewer gets a special sumthin'….. . . Review and find out what it is! Alla y'all! Pweez I beg beg beg ya both R&R!__

**Me:** FINALLY I've gotten off my lazy bum and UPDATED!

**Jack:** Congratulations.

**Me:** -- You should really be more supportive you know.

**Jack:** And why's that, luv?

**Me: **Because I can lock you in a closet.

**Jack:** Your point being….?

**Me:** ……With a very ticked off Leah.

**Jack:** Ah… point taken.

**Special thanks to Kirie and Kizume for betaing**

* * *

**The Deal**

There were three of them that took a longboat to the _Beaten Bride_ just after dawn, one male pirate and two women, both with hair unadorned. One was in a dress that had been worn throughout the whole voyage and the other in pirate garb, a pistol and sword firmly secured by a well-worn belt. They all were allowed aboard at gunpoint, their weapons removed. Then, with jeers, they were led to the Captain's Cabin, shoved in, followed in by two more men who were to stand guard at the door, and lastly, said door was shut.

The room the three of them had entered was basically very much like the Captain's Cabin aboard the _Pearl_, though smaller and in far worse condition, much like the rest of the ship. Everything looked old, almost rotted, aboard this ship; everything was dirty and unkempt, as if all the vessel was good for was getting from point A to point B, no sentimental value attached. All things considered, this was most likely just how its present owners felt about the ship it, as if it was something to use and use until it broke down completely and only then curse it for failing. It really said something about both the crew and its two captains, the way they treated their ship, their temporary home. It was completely unlike how Jack treated the _Black Pearl_, one of the five great loves of his life (the fifth, of course, being rum, or really any alcoholic beverage).

As for specifics… well, the room was practically in shambles. The floor was scuffed and dirty, the two beds in the back of the room the only things even relatively clean. There was no adjoining room for sleeping quarters.

Smears of just about anything appeared all over the desk to the right of the door, the one on which Eric was reclining, a smirk an apparently permanent fixture upon his face. Two sets of drawers—ancient, chipped, and carrying a thick coat of dust along their respective tops—were to the left of the door, and an old grand table, once splendid but now a rotted antique in the same state of neglect as all else on the ship, was in the middle of the Captain's Cabin. There were four chairs, two on either side of the table (all of them past their prime and none of them pushed in or really in any sort of order), and in front of the second set of drawers stood Swanson. He was dressed in a long frock coat with a dirty button up shirt-the three upper buttons having fallen off-and the typical breeches and boots, all the proper accessories present. He didn't appear to be exceptionally happy to see them either. In fact, he appeared downright surly.

"How nice of you to make it, _mon capitan_… ladies," Eric said to each in turn, moving away from the desk and over to the trio with a smile that one might misinterpret as friendly if one did not know better. His swagger was almost as pronounced as Jack's, and the bottom of his own long coat fluttered behind him. He hadn't changed his attire since the kidnapping.

Taking the hand of the gorgeous young lady in the dress, Eric proceeded to kiss it before moving on to the next female, presumably Sparrow's wife. He was surprised when she didn't pull away, but he was by no means ruffled or caught off guard. Unlike her spouse, she must have had manners. "How nice of you all to make it."

"Yes, delightful," Swanson seconded sardonically, staying right where he was, sour to the core and looking at all three of them as if they were the most repulsive _things_ he had ever seen.

All business he was, and in a bad mood on top of it all.

"I would like to say the feeling's mutual…" Jack trailed off, spreading his arms with a trace of a smile.

Eric laughed, leaning back against the large dining table, practically sitting upon it, as he did so. Upon finishing and looking back up, his eyes positively gleamed with mirth, his hands keeping him steady on either side as he continued to recline backwards. "You always were quite the comedian, Jack."

"Glad I could be of service," Jack replied, giving the younger man a small gold-toothed grin. "But…. we all know that my comedic skills are not why I am here, don't we, mates?"

"Finally, to business," Swanson remarked. He had apparently been looking forward to this part of the meeting.

As for the two women, they stayed eerily silent. Their stern expressions, however, especially in the case of the one in the dress, said it all.

"Hmm, true enough," said Eric in response to Jack, both nonchalant in manner _and_ completely ignoring his comrade, "but first, do tell me, who're these two lovely ambrosial angels? They weren't part o' the bargain, after all."

Jack answered for the two "lovely ambrosial angels." "Wonderin' when you'd be askin' that." He turned slightly to them, gesturing. "This'd be me wife, Leah. And this'd be… a present, part of a bargain, as it were."

"Present? Bargain?"

"Aye, one of the lovely ladies o' Tortuga. She'll service the two of you and your men, and in return…" Jack stopped, and turned towards Eric, his eyes, oily black in the poor lighting, fixed on the other's emerald green. He made his approach, up to a mere foot away from his enemy's face, their torsos even closer. Eric's smug smile did not waver, and nor did his eyes. "In return she sees the children, and then returns to me unharmed… and unspoiled. _That_ much neither you nor Swanson nor you men may have."

"But Jack," protested Eric gently, "if she be one o' Tortuga's many delicacies, innit she already spoiled beyond reckonin'?"

"Those'd be the terms, Eric. Take 'em, or leave 'em."

Eric mulled it over for a second or two, and when he spoke, he was as quiet as can be. "And if we accept? What's to say we'll keep our word?"

Jack was wholly cold, utterly serious now. "The fact that I have what you want, and the fact that if anything were to happen to either me children or her, you'd get none of it, savvy?" Done with Eric for the moment, Jack rotated his head to the left, looking directly at Swanson. "This stands for you as well, mate. For all your crew." He turned back to Eric. "For all of you."

"Why Jack, showing so much concern for this trollop before your wife?" Eric asked in mock admonition, moving his face even closer to Jack's. It was very reminiscent of Jack and Leah's argument earlier, actually, although with far less screaming and nowhere near as amusing. Quite the opposite actually.

Eric's next words were so soft as to be nigh indistinguishable, a breath of foul smelling air. "I was under the impression ye were tied down."

"Only as tied down as the _Pearl_, and she's sailing free. As far from your reach as ever."

Eric paused, but only for a moment, perhaps only for effect. "Not for long."

"You will _never_ get the _Pearl_, Eric. Never."

"Then perhaps we'll come to another arrangement, _won't_ we, Jack?"

As Eric straightened up, Jack took a few steps back, allowing him to walk over to his partner.

"What think ye, Swanson," Eric asked, that amiable expression yet on his face, his eyes focused solely on Jack, who'd turned to face him. "Seems like a good deal, _non_?"

Swanson looked the young female in the dress up and down, noticing not that the dress was a few inches too short for her, nor that it was just a little too big in general (very good thing it laced up in the back), but rather her very apparent… assets.

"I dun 'ave a problem with it."

"Neither do I."

For the first time, the female in the breeches and loose-fitting white shirt spoke up. "No one takes it all. _No one_. Swear it." So, it turned out she wasn't a mute after all.

The one in the dress stayed quiet.

"Hmm…. Eric mused, his forefinger on his chin. Finally, he looked over at the two guards on opposite sides of the door. "What say ye, mates? Should we accept or shouldn' we?"

The one to Eric's right spoke, a grin showing off all the thoroughly rotted teeth he had left. "I dun 'ave a problem with it, Cap'."

Judging by the lecherous expression the other one had upon his face, his thoughts were very much the same, but Eric asked nonetheless. His answer was very much just what one would expect.

Apparently still pondering, Eric walked confidently over to the would-be "gift," taking her face in his hand and rotating it about. She said nothing, not even when he released her face and stepped back, carefully looking her up and down, taking in every little detail.

"A'right then, _mon capitan_," he said at last, turning around and facing Jack. He stuck out his hand. "We have an accord."

Jack walked over, they shook on it, and that was that.

"Although," Eric began, just as Jack finished pulling his hand away, "I'm not fully certain either me er Swanson 'ere can guarantee her safety, though why it'd mat-"

"Guarantee it," Jack said quietly, his voice as menacing as it had ever been. He did not so much as glance at the young lady so near him even once.

"Why Jack!" Eric exclaimed with his usual theatrics, his right hand flying to his heart. "I didn' know it meant so much to you! But of course, if it is of such vital import, I will sit in on the proceedin's meself." Jack was certain the sick, psychotic bastard would enjoy it but said nothing. God, why had he ever agreed to this? This was going against every single instinct Jack had, and if there was one thing he'd learned from his years as a pirate, it was to trust his instincts.

But there was no backing out now.

"How's that sound ta ye?"

"I'll hold you to it, Eric."

"Oh I'm sure ye will."

As Jack began to make his way around Eric, over towards his wife and closer to the door, his name was called and he turned. It was Swanson.

"What 'bout our terms, Jack? What 'bout what _we_ want?"

"I'm having a thought that perhaps I should wait till I know me kids are all right, eh? Not till then."

"Delightful!" Eric cut in, clapping his hands, and then proceeded to walk over to his fellow captain, motioning to the two guards on either side of the door upon reaching him and turning about. "Take Captain Jack Sparrow 'n' 'is lovely companion back ta their boat, eh? Unharmed, mind you." Oh, he simply loved this!

Rather displeased with the last part of their order, the two brutes obeyed, one grabbing Jack by the arm and the other his "companion."

"Rather trusting crew you two got," Jack commented as he was roughly escorted out, but he did not look back at the third member of his entourage yet in the room. Only his "companion" looked back—though only for only a fleeting instant—and then they were gone.

And Leah Sparrow was left alone and defenseless, her only weapon a dagger she'd placed in one of her borrowed garters, in a room with one man who could not be trusted and another who was both completely insane and knew exactly who she was.

**A/N**: Yup, so that's it. Heeheehee, dontcha love cliffies? Hope you guys like! Remember, 100th reviewer gets something special.... and everyone after that gets to go TO THE 100TH REVIEW PARTY!!! XD So remember, R&R!

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**Jack**: …Well that was another happy chapter.

**Leah**: Oh yes, Sal, you're a _very_ happy writer. I'm just leaping with enthusiastic joy reading this.

**Me**: YOU LIVED IT!

**Leah**: Doesn't mean you can't skip this part…

**Jack**: Or just get to the part where Le' 'n' me kiss an' make up…

**Leah**: Is that ALL you ever think about?

**Jack**: Grin

**Me**: Did you two know you need serious help?

**Jack**: Yup.

**Me**: …..You're both hopeless.

**TriGem**: GIPPAL LONG REVIEW! Showers usa with advance editions of POTC2 Thank ya very much. XD But yes…. Yeah…. Jack and Leah just really need counseling…. Usa were right, they do still love each other but they just have the communication skills of a wall. Only you get more from the wall. (Yes, I ripped that line off of Final Fantasy VIII.) Plus they ARE stubborn, and while Leah's emotional and is hurt easily though she tries her hardest to be strong, Jack Sparrow is, well, the one, the only, Captain Jack Sparrow. He's learned the hard way to keep everything secret, and even with Leah, it remains that way. I'm fairly certain it always will to some degree… if they resolve it. ;) As for that… you'll see! And thank yousa MUCHO on the compliments on me fic. Mesa is glad usa like me story so much. Hopefully this latest chappie did not come too late…. O.o

**Venus**: Mesa glad usa likethed the chappie. And you're absolutely right about Leah always being the weak one. With Jack, she is. Just by his very persona, by the way he is, he's completely dominating. However, he DOES still love Leah and want her and perhaps even need her, although, I have to admit, it'd be far worse on Leah, at least on the outside, if they were to be separated. But yes, glad usa liketh Elise and Kev'. I wuvvle those two. .

**zig**: Ya, 'twas sad… Depressed even moi. O.o But as we all know, things always gotta get worse 'fore they get better (if they do ;) ). SO sry for the lack of update for so long though… I WILL try to be better, I promise.

**Keira**: lol. Ya, sry for the uber long wait yet again…. Hoping the chappie was as good as you expected though.

**Shane**: Ya…. Sry for the delay yet again. Sighs I'm so bad… But yes, glad usa likethed. And usa thought 'bout me story? Mesa touched! .

**M-Sparrow**: Yeah… Sry for the wicked long wait… And yeah, last chappie was depressing. But there is always the light at the end of the tunnel! For the most part. ;)

**Dimonah**: Glad usa likethed the chappie but it made usa _cry_? I swy! I'm touched that it was actually good enough to bring about such emotion, though, and I hoping usa likethed it, even if it was uber depressing. Here's hoping this latest chap is up to thy standards!

**Kirie**: Sadistic freak.

**Sara**: YEEEEEEEEEEK! Thanks lucky stars Dun hurt me….. But I am the Queen of Angst, aren't I? O:) Glad usa likethed Elise and Kev' though! PIE!

**Lightning**: GO AUTHOR ALERTS! I love them yes I do preciousssssssssssss… And go Army! And Coast Guard! That is pretty ironic though. Though pretty cool. I hope thou enjoyeths whatever thou decides to doeth! (Ya…. Not trying with the Old English O:) )

**Jinxd**: Well good thing I got me cursed Aztec gold… The gun can't kill me at least….. o.O MESA SO SRY FOR TAKING THIS LONG TO UPLOAD! Dun hurt me….. T-T And yick, I sry for not being online more! I be on more now, yisyis. A while ago Isa gotz new sn tho', so im mesa on this: mrsleahsparrow. Original, innit it? O:)

**bubble**: WOOOOOT GO CATCHING UP! XD Hopefully I still hold thy interest even with the long wait for me updates. Dun worry bout the reviewing, I just glad usa did this time. Remember though, a review a day keeps in the closet-ay! XD

**XxXthesicknessXxX**: OO YEEEK SO MANY COMPLIMENTS! Passes out from praise Seriously though, thank you SO much. Mesa is ELATED that you enjoyed me fic this much. I'm also uber touched that the chappie made u cry, though I sry for making u sad… and for taking so long to update. I WILL try to be better though. Pinky swear.

**MrsCJS**: They ARE freaking pig-headed aren't they? I swear it bugs ME sometimes, and I stick 'em into these situations.… though technically not cuz this is how it happens. O:) Glad usa like me fics so much btb. Thank u immensely for taking the time to read and review and alla that. As for reading thy fic, I'd LOVE to, but as I've learned, I can't make any promises. I still haven't even done me hw for example and it's 6:30 pm. I WILL try to though, I swear it. And unlike other pirates, I keep me word. Least I try to. Seriously, I WILL try to read it though. I'm sure it's REALLY osm.


	9. Gambles

**A/N1: **WOOOOOOOT A NEW CHAPPIE! XD Finally! Sorry that took so long… Don't hate me guys! Keep on R&Ring! An amusing factoid tho': Originally Jack and Kevin were going to argue fiercely and then try to beat each other up in this. As you can see, Fred took me somewhere completely different. O.o But yes, read and review! And most importantly, ENJOY!

**_AND NOW, THE MOMENT WE'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR, THE 100TH REVIEWER…. _****_Jinxd n cursed!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!!! Throws confetti, balloons, candy, rum, all kinda stuffs and POTC merchandise all around!_**

Now everyone, you got to congratulate **Jinxd** in your reviews! As for her prize…

Takes Jack outta the closet and leads him over to **Jinxd** on a leash If he tries to run away, just tell me. Hehehe… He'll behave. And ya get him for the next month! WOOOOT!

Blasts Evanescence and Linkin Park and Pirates music and whatever else everyone likes WOOOOT PPAAAAAAAAARRRRRRTTTTYYYYYYYY! XD

**SPECIAL THANKS TO KIRIE FOR BETAING**

**Fred:** Aren'tcha just wondering what else I'm gonna change on you?

**Me: **No… O.o Should I be?

**Fred:** Ma-aybe. O:)

**Me:**….. JACK!!!

**Jack:** Yeah?

**Me:** Fred's being mean to me?

**Jack:** So?

**Fred: **I love you Jack. .

**Jack:** XD

**Me: **I hate you both.

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**Gambles**

Leah felt ill, and not just any ill. She could barely keep herself from throwing up.

And she had to make absolutely certain no one else noticed.

Albeit there was only one other person in the room with her, but she'd been warned—and could now quite clearly see why—about being extra careful around him. She had just finished "servicing" Eric and had straightened up from her position on her knees, standing with her eyes forward, face completely devoid of emotion. She was well aware that this was _not_ how a whore would act, but it was all she could do to keep this charade going. What she'd done, what she would have to do, Eric himself, it was all utterly sickening. She could only pray that he merely thought her to be a new player in the game, someone inexperienced, just starting out on her new "career path."

Before Leah was Eric, though she was not actually looking directly _at _him but more at some mysterious spot just above his left shoulder. He on the other hand had the trademark smirk as he looked her over some more, doing up his breeches. He appeared quite pleased with himself, actually, and with her as well.

It was taking the whole of her willpower to not vomit.

"You're quite good, you know," he said maliciously, and moved over to her, seizing the back of her head and pulling her in for a nice deep kiss. A wave of nausea washed over her, and it was only by an act of God that she didn't succumb. When he finally pulled away a good half minute later, Leah could swear his emerald eyes twinkled. "You've quite the tongue, Ms. Sparrow."

Willpower, willpower, willpower…. She was not going to give in to her stomach. She was not-_What!_

Not quite believing her ears, Leah's eyes bulged open, starting directly into his, and her whole body seemed to jump. Had she heard what she _thought_ she just heard? She said nothing, just in case she was wrong, but inside, a fresh spark of terror ignited a bonfire. How did he know?

"I wonder, did ye learn that from Jack, _ma belle_?"

The room spun before her eyes, and she felt bile rise in her throat, but Leah pushed it all away. Damn it, damn it, damn it! "I-I've no idea what yer talkin' 'bout," she said somewhat shakily, trying her best to make her speech less cultured. Damn it!

Eric laughed, tsks following. "As charming as your façade is, m'darlin', it's fast becoming tiresome." Once again, he grabbed the back of her head and pulled her close, a mere inch from his face. His fingers curled, pulling on her hair, and she could not help but wince as his acrid breath blew into her face. "Either admit who ye are, or I take you. Right now. A whore I've no obligation to, but Jack's wife… tha's another story entir'ly."

Slowly, his eyes boring into hers, Eric released her and took a step back. "Now, m'pet. Who are ye?"

She was trapped. Leah was trapped. She'd failed her children, she'd failed everybody. Why had she not listened to Jack?

But maybe, maybe this way she would be able to see John and Claire. Maybe, just one last time…

Leah prayed with all her might for Jack to save their children. No, not her, she was only of secondary importance. Just please, please, _please_ let their children be saved.

And please let them, as well as Jack, always know that she loved them with all of her heart and soul.

With all these thoughts and more running through her head, with no doubt in her mind that she would no doubt be tortured and killed, and with both her hatred or Eric and stomach's contents brimming, Leah spoke. "Aye Eric, fine, you win. I'm Leah Sparrow," she hissed.

He smiled. "Now really dear, was that so _very_ hard?" Leah said nothing, causing Eric to chuckle once more. "Really, very much the quiet one, aren't we?" Still, she did not reply, a fact that seemed to amuse the pirate greatly. A huge grin on his face, one that, completely unlike Jack's, was, to put it bluntly, both psychotic and terrifying, Eric made for the door, Leah standing directly in his path. Naturally, he gave her cheek a soft stroke as he passed very closely to right, either not noticing or not _taking_ notice of the shivers of disgust and fear which then went through her body. Upon reaching the door, the same door through which Jack and Elise had left, Eric stopped, his hand pressed against the worn, splintery wood.

"By the way, _Ms. Sparrow_," he began, his voice eerily cold, "I _will_ have you, whore or not, make no mistake. I couldn't have Jack, an' I will… but in the interim, m'dear, ye _will_ be mine." The squeak of the hinges followed by the soft swish and patter of a shutting door were the only things to signify his departure, and for an entire minute, Leah could do nothing but stand perfectly still, trying to stifle both a complete breakdown and retching. Although she succeeded, she could not keep her body from shaking.

Another minute passed of deep breaths and the desperate avoidance of hyperventilation. Willpower. All it took was willpower.

Desperately, Leah tried to believe that.

Jack Sparrow sat in Kevin's cabin, the captain's cabin of Kevin's ship, his legs up on the dining table, leaning back on the ornate wooden chair. In his right hand he held a quarter empty bottle of rum, and every once in a while, he would take a nice swig. Why had he _ever_ let her do this? Sure, he'd taken worse risks before, but that'd been _him _taking those risks. Was he would of his bloody _mind_?

Kevin's crew couldn't see him this worried and panicked, no one could. He was Captain Jack Sparrow; he had an image to maintain. He needed time to compose himself a bit. And besides that, he just wanted to get drunk. Things were always easier that way.

Rationally, he tried to calm himself, assuring himself that all was fine. For all he knew, everything _was_ going perfectly. Perhaps Eric and Swanson had been completely and utterly fooled.

Why did he doubt it?

Drinking, for all the world appearing utterly calm and collected while inside he'd never felt worse, he barely reacted when Kevin entered. It seemed the _Satanic Slumber_'s captain was no longer at the wheel or on deck, shouting orders. What a pity.

"Good rum, Jack?" the younger man asked the moment he reached the table, plopping down opposite the man whose entire family was being held captive by two of the mostruthless beings imaginable.

"Yes, actually. Your ship carries spectacular stores."

Kevin grinned. "I try."

The pair sat for a while, Jack taking the occasional sip of rum, Kevin quietly studying him, holding his head up with his hand as his elbow rested on the table. Jack cocked an eyebrow.

"Can I help you with something, mate?"

"No, not really."

"So you're watching my every movement why?" he asked, twirling his hand about as he did so.

"I…" Kevin paused, unsure of how to say just what it was he wanted to say. "Well, ye see…"

Jack's eyes widened a bit, though only for a moment, and he sat up swinging his legs around with a large sweeping motion. He placed the rum bottle off to the side upon direct completion of this, looking Kevin in the eyes. There was just a _tad_ bit of amusement in Jack's expression. "Now Kev', you're a fine lad to be sure, and just a few years ago I'd 'a' been happy sleep with you, but really, is now the time?"

Now it was time for Kevin's eyes to go wide. "Jack… _no_. You just-I-no! You're a fine man an' all, but yer _married_. Even _I_ got me morals. I meant somethin' _completely_ diff'rent."

Jack smirked. "Uh…huh."

"I did!"

Jack said nothing, merely kept up that cocky expression of his. Kevin was beginning to see just how irritatingly full of himself this man could get.

Kevin sighed and shook his head, his head to his forehead, his cheeks reddened. Finally, he looked up into Jack's smug face. "For the love o' Mary, I was _tryin_' ta tell ye that Leah'd be fine, but 'parently we've got our mind somewhere else, dun we?"

Jack's expression darkened, but he still managed to keep up a somewhat amused mien. "'Course that's what you wanted to say, Kev'." The sooner he got rid of Kevin, the better, and this was the quickest way, not to mention somewhat entertaining.

Kevin openly gaped at Jack, exasperated beyond belief. "Ya know, this is what Leah means when she calls ya impossible. Ye know that, right?"

"Proud of it." Jack took another swig of rum. The bottle was over half gone now.

Kevin gave up. Jack was quite capable of handling himself. "Ye know," he began, standing up with his palms flat on the tabletop before him, his entire body leaning forward, "drinking yerself into a stupor innit gonna help Leah _or_ the kids any, mate." Coming from _Kevin_ of all people, this comment was not to be taken lightly.

More than annoyed, Kevin then walked briskly out, and the door closed behind him perhaps a little harder than it should have been.

Stoically, Jack watched him leave, and sat that way for at least half a minute after his departure, absentmindedly playing with his rum bottle, sloshing the auburn liquid around. For nearly a millisecond, he placed the bottle on the table, but after, without warning, he grabbed the container and turned, flinging it with all his might against the far wall. It crashed with a loud shatter, glass and rumflying every which way.

Jack stood, breathing hard, staring at the spot of impact. Slowly, liquid slid down the wall, and there was a strange calm in the room, but not within Jack's own heart and mind.

Eric and Swanson would pay with their lives for this. And they would pay slowly.

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**Me: **Oooooh, Jack lost his temper. . AND he can't say anything cuz he's not here.

**Jack:** From far away HUSH UP, SAL!

**Me:** I LOVE YOU JACK! .

**Fred:** You're cruel… I like that.

**Me:** New angst chappie, here we come. O:)

**Jinxd:** OO Stalk….? in small tiny voice _Squeak!_ Hee, j/k. Stalking/iming is fun! XD Tho' I won't really be on for this next week. See, I'm in Florida so I can't get on much. O.o Be online when I return! Glad yousa likethed the chappie though! And it IS original so nah! Sticks out tongue

**TriGem:** Glad you likethed the chappie. :D SO sry it took me so long to update again. I'm a bad person…. As for basically anything having to do with Eric, it shall all be revealed. He actually DOES have a reason for wanting the _Pearl_, but you gotta wait to see. O:) As for Leah and Jack, they shall both do what they view as necessary, and that is all I'm saying. ;-)

**M-SPARROW:** Yeah… the current situation between Jack and Leah bothers us all, even me… But they're them so what can you do? And no, Leah knows neither Eric or Swanson, but Eric is smart and noticed body language, how none of them were talking, etc., and not to mention he's utterly INSANE, so he took a gamble in this chapter, though he really didn't have anything to lose. He gambled correctly, and Leah can't bluff. Glad you liked! .

**Vagrant:** MUAHAHAHAHAHA! . .

**Kizume: **lol Good thing we were in contact then. I HAVE NOT BEEN THROWN INTO A DITCH! YET! . . As for reading thy fics…. I shall I shall when I get home, I promise! I'm in Florida right now but when I return, mesa read read read! Enjoy Jack! ;-)

**Eccentric Freak (;-) **You know I'm kiddingOoooooh, long review! Gippalness! . And you used Gippal! You KICK! And now, to respond to the review: You'll see-ee. :P OOOO, you ARE having a busy life tho'. And you HAVEN'T BEEN ONLINE! T-T I miss you. :( Get online more in a week when I come home! I'll even read that fic you want me to.

**smth:** Yeah….. I take a LONG time to update lately… But no matter how long it takes me, I DO UPDATE! XD Thanks for not giving up on me!

**S.S.I.: **Come one, come all, THE MORE THE MERRIER! XD And mesa very glad you like me fic. .

**Neytari:** Your review actually urged me to update… Thank ya! Huggles SO sry for the long delay!


	10. Momentary Surrender

**A/N**: Special long chapter for y'all. Wooot! But sorry guys, no Jack in this chapter, although he WILL be a big part of the next chapter or at latest the one after that. We're going to have some nice negotiation scenes going on… . . And that's all your getting out of me. XD Remember to R&R!

**Leah:** Wow, you updated, Sal.

**Me:** (Shrug) Fred was feeling nice.

**Fred:** Now, whether I should _keep on_ being nice, that's another story entirely.

**Me:** I love you, Fred!

**Fred:** Hehehe…

**Special thanks to Kirie and Kizume for betaing. Kizume even gave me this title, so all of you, PRAISE HER! Praise BOTH of 'em!**

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**Momentary Surrender**

Leah had never known which was worse, to be tormented and tortured or to be left with the anticipation of such and naught else. At first glance the first did seem to be worse, but then when one looked beneath the icy surface, one could see the rippling water full of wriggling hunter and hunted. Beneath the exterior, the former was relatively straightforward, the latter anything but. The latter involved your mind, thoughts and fears chasing and gnawing and snapping in a rough current of restlessness.

Personally, Leah would have rather faced… neither. But as it stood, this was not an option, and she was facing the second, no doubt later the first, and to make matters even worse, she was left to worry about her children and Jack and Kevin and Elise as well.

Nonetheless, at the moment, she had two specific matters vying for first and foremost in her mind, both concerning the darling Eric: the well-being of herself, and the well-being of her children.

Brooding on the possibilities of what could and would happen, Leah sat in a high-backed chair at the table. Mindlessly, she tapped the pad of her right forefinger against the curved, smooth edge of the worn table, the rest of her fingers just touching the surface, her hand hanging off. The heel of her left foot was also involved in the tapping, although it's rhythm was noticeably slower. On and off she would bite the inside of her lip, and in a way that was almost pitiable, Leah noticed none of it. She was too far into the depths of her mind, a maze of caves and caverns that only got darker and darker as they extended into the earth with no hint of escape. The last conscious decision she'd made was to take her dagger out of the garter and hold it in her left hand, hidden under the table as she sat and wrung the fabric of her dress with that hand.

What finally snapped Leah out of her reverie was this: the door of the captain's cabin opening and someone stepping into the room, the door closing behind him. At the very first noise Leah's eyes had darted up, her body freezing, breath halted. It was Swanson.

Without a word, he pulled a chair from his left over and sat down on it, across from Leah. He smiled then, but somehow, the smile wasn't a happy smile. Nor was it, as one might expect, cruel or sadistic. It was bitter, and somehow sad. "Ye've no hope, Miss Sparrow."

She blinked. Well… this wasn't exactly what she'd been expecting. Her lungs only now starting to accept oxygen again, she waited for him to continue.

He didn't.

Although Swanson knew what he wanted to say, at the same time, he _didn't_. Some part of him didn't even know why he'd come, while actually, he was certain of his reasoning. During this hiatus of silence, Leah let her hand slip away from the table and down to her skirt. This time not so mindlessly, she wrung the fabric in her hands in a tight fist. It was all she could do to keep from snapping. After a time neither was able to judge, Leah spoke in the most coherent way she was able, in a manner that completely summed up her thoughts.

"What?" Her brain was not functioning correctly, and his words just didn't make any sense to her right then. There was too much going on at once, and anything abstract was utterly beyond her.

Swanson sighed, bringing his head down and closing his eyes for a moment. Wearily, he looked back up, his gray eyes shadowed and dark, seeming worn and spent.

"Jus' give us what we want, eh? Then I'll see what I can do."

Leah gaped. In fact, she was so in shock that she _continued_ to gape as Swanson stood, beginning to turn around. He was going to exit the room. It was then that she found her voice.

"What are you-how am I- _I'm here_ if you perchance haven't noticed. How on _earth_ am I to give you _anything_?"

Swanson paused in step, seemed to consider whether or not he should stay, yet at length, he turned back to face her. "When we send ye back, ye harlot of Sparrow, when we send ye _back_."

And again, Leah gaped. She was being sent back… insulted by someone who seemed to be helping her yet being sent back and… _what_? What was going _on_? Her own _thoughts_ barely made sense to her.

He made to leave again.

"Swanson, wait!" Leah called, standing up, with barely the presence of mind to place the dagger on the chair. Although she could tell it was the last thing he wanted to do, he remained. "Swanson, what-why-_how _am I being sent back? What's going on?"

"Look, Madame Sparrow," he said, clearly exasperated, "Ye'll see the kids, an' then… an' then ye'll be sent back an' it'll be up to ye ta get us what we're after."

Leah stared blankly. No, it was far too easy, _far _too easy. "What're you hiding?" she asked quietly just as Swanson made to leave a third time.

Not looking at her but facing the door, Swanson stood silent. However, after overcoming a barrier within himself, one of hate and sadism and pain, he spoke, but he did not turn from the door. "There er some things… some that, no matter what, jus' shouldn' 'appen. What Eric wants is one o' those, an' even I have problems with that, an' I'll try to save ye from that. But what 'e does, 'e does, an' I won't stop him. Jack, the bastard, deserves it, an' any whore o' his I shan't save."

More inability to speak on Leah's part followed this, and Swanson reached for the door. It was then, however, that the door swung inward, and he took a quick step backward. It was Eric.

"Well, well, well, if it i'n't two of my fav'rite people alone. Jus' what am I missing, love blossomin' aboard me very ship p'raps?"

"_Our_ ship," Swanson reminded, ignoring the rest of what Eric had said completely.

"Naturally."

Moving past Swanson who stepped to the side, Eric went towards the table, looking Leah directly in the eye. "Come, m'dear. 's time we went."

"And where, pray tell, are we going?" Leah asked, forcing herself to appear calm and confident.

"Why, to see your children, o'course," Eric replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Although Leah felt an unfamiliar spark of hope—hadn't Swanson said this very same thing?— she forced herself to remain incredulous. "Less go, _ma cherie_, if ye _want_ to see, what where their names, Claire an' John? Well, if they're still alive, tha-"

"All right, all right!" Leah interrupted, stepping around the table and pushing in the chair behind her. She dreadfully wished she could somehow get the dagger, but how could she with Eric watching her so closely? To bend her knees and reach for it would be too obvious. The most she could hope to do was leave it where it was and pray it wasn't found until later. She could deal with it then.

Careful not to so much as glance at Eric, Leah swept by him, her head held high, back straight. She was caught utterly off-guard when he grabbed her arm and pulled her toward him, turning her so that she faced into the room. Then, he kicked her legs out from under her and shoved her head-first into the table. With no time to prepare herself, Leah's impact was swift and painful. As she fell forward, the very bottom of her rib cage collided with the edge of the table, her left side hitting Swanson's chair, and her chin hitting the tabletop. It was pure luck she didn't bite through her tongue, but she didn't miss the muscle entirely. The bleeding from its very tip was immediate.

Not allowing herself any time for shock, Leah allowed herself to fall to the ground and then scrambled under the table for her dagger. Someone—Eric, no doubt—grabbed at her lower body, but she kicked back and managed to grab the blade. Then, twisting herself around so that she was bent into a "C", she slashed at the hands. She managed to cut the back of his left hand. Eric's smug expression vanished.

"Bitch," he hissed, and now he was the lioness stalking its prey, careful to avoid Leah's dagger.

Breathing hard, Leah looked out from under the table, the dagger gripped tight in her hand before her. "Swanson, help me," Eric snapped in an authoritatively, watching her with a shrewd, careful eye.

After a brief hesitation, Swanson moved forward. He wasn't a saint; he'd only come to warn her. However, this he was not above. In fact, Leah's agony he just might enjoy, although not nearly as much as Eric would.

"Waddya want me ta do, Eric?" Swanson asked, standing beside his co-captain.

"Nothing," Eric responded, his breathing slowing down. A glimmer of a smile touched his lips. "We wait."

Swanson gave a churlish grin and did as he was told, standing there and watching the stage under the table, a dramatic play running its course.

Still panting, although she was calming as well, Leah calculated, and the numbers didn't seem to be stacked in her favor. It wasn't so much that she was outnumbered, no. It was more that, if she somehow did overcome both Eric and Swanson, what would happen then? They had her children, and she had no doubt that the remaining crew would not hesitate to slaughter John and Claire. She was trapped. There was no chance of her coming out the victor, and although she wanted to punish the two men before her, to hurt them, she couldn't.

Leah felt like doing nothing more than collapsing and sobbing, sinking into a hole never to come out. Even surrendering held its own appeal.

But she could do neither.

_What_ was she supposed to do?

"C'mout, c'mout _ma cherie_," Eric taunted, his voice and form still that of a skilled, cautious hunter. "You've nowhere ta go."

What could she do? What could she say? After spitting some blood off to the side and wiping her mouth off with the back of her hand, Leah spoke. "I see my children, Eric. I see them, you swear it. I see my children!" While her situation seemed hopeless, Leah did not speak as if it was. Although she appeared a mess, her dirty blond hair falling out in great patches from the combs that were just hanging on and blood staining her chin, all while she lay under a table with no possible chance of victory or escape, she spoke with cool resolve. Her voice was breathy, quiet, but nowhere did panic sound. She sounded utterly in control of her wits, though perhaps not the situation.

The real situation was quite the opposite. Inside, Leah was in hysterics, and on that last sentence, some of this did show in the form of a tremor, a crack, and a rising octave in her voice. Not a great deal of it, no, but enough.

Eric was loving this.

"A'right, I promise. Ye'll see yer lovely cherubs, but first, ya gotta give up the knife." A pause. "Are ye gonna give up the dagger, then, or not? Time is moving… moving…" Leah hesitated for only a moment before chucking the dagger across the floor to Eric with a small cry. It hit the floorboards with a loud clank and slid to his feet, stopping after colliding with his boots. Eric bent down and picked it up. "Good girl," Eric praised, standing once again. "Now come on out." Leah obeyed, standing up in front of Eric and Swanson. "Good, good, _good_ obedient wench. Yer learning, aren't ya, _ma cherie_?"

This time, Swanson shoved Leah towards his partner, and Eric once again kicked the legs out from under her. She missed the table and landed on the floor, and that was when the beating began. Eric and Swanson both kicked her, but after a while, it was just Eric, Swanson stepping to the side and observing with sick pleasure. Leah didn't know how long it went on for, but she did know that a) it hurt like hell and b) it took everything in her not to fight back.

"Eric, _Eric!_" It was only then that this psychotic, sadistic, homicidal maniac stopped, leaving Leah on the floor. Although small whimpers did escape a few times as she lay and took the thrashing, to her credit, she'd never once allowed herself to yell, had only grunted or gasped.

Breathing hard, Eric just now seemed to come back to himself, glowering at Leah with an eerie expression on his face and glow in his eyes. Sweat glittered off of his flesh, and he shook slightly. It truly seemed painful to tear his eyes from Leah and to Swanson.

For a moment, the two just looked at each other, and then Swanson spoke. "It's enough, Eric," he said softly, taking two steps forward and placing his hand on his comrade's shoulder. "Enough."

Eric said nothing for a moment, but then he reached forward and took the back of Swanson's head in his hand, pulling him in for a passionate kiss. Pulling away for a moment, he whispered "Yes, enough," and continued the embrace, pushing his body up closer to Swanson's.

Meanwhile, on the floor, Leah slowly pulled herself up to one of the table's thick, unadorned supports and leaned against it, sitting up with a shuddering breath. She missed her Claire and John, she yearned for her babies. And she yearned for Jack.

* * *

Truly, it was never comfortable with your hands tied behind your back. No matter how many times it happened, it was always an irritation. The rope dug into your wrists, and sometimes your arms would cramp. Walking was especially difficult, and the fact that your hands were rendered unusable, the obvious intent of tying your hands up in the first place, was never pleasant. The walking problem, however, Leah did not have. She was sitting in the back of a rowboat, one of the _Beaten Bride's_ beaten treasures, and although she herself was hardly in better shape than the boat, she was conscious and aware, bruises, blood, and possibly broken ribs or no. Before her sat one of the men who'd been in the room with her, Jack, Elise, Eric, and Swanson. He was rowing. In front of _him_ sat Eric. Swanson was still on the ship. 

Without a word, the trio rowed up to the island. Soon, they reached a cove, and there was a labyrinth of caves and tunnels far worse than there had ever been on the _Isla de Muerta_. Into here they rowed, Eric lifting a lantern Leah had not noticed so that they could see their way. On either side, they passed tunnels branching off of the main path, but they entered none of them. Instead, they continued rowing until they reached a sandy landing, two boats positioned far enough up so as not to float away and close enough together for there to be room for more.

The whole time, Eric had not so much as glanced at Leah, and frankly, she was quite content to have it that way. This would change soon, however.

The moment the bottom of the boat hit land, Eric disembarked, his crewman following. Roughly, said crewman grabbed Leah's upper arm and yanked her out of the boat. Leah stumbled out, and only because he was gripping her arm so tightly, in effect holding her up, did she not stumble and fall. It ached to move, or to even sit still, really, and the fact that she was wearing Elise's blasted dress—all the good _that_ had done her—did not help matters any. Bloody skirts…

"Get up there," the man growled, pushing Leah forward to dry land. It seemed the boat was too heavy for one man to drag up himself, and both Eric and his crewman would have to do it. Wildly, Leah considered running, but decided against it the same moment. Where was there to go? What would happen to the children?

After moving up the incline that was this landing, Leah leaned against the cold, slimy stone wall. Her breathing had just picked up its pace. Moving was painful.

Here, it seemed as if the moist air was trying to swallow her up instead of the other way around, and it was harder than usual to slow her breathing. Instead of oxygen diluted with water, it seemed the opposite was true here as the smell of sea and mold assaulted her senses.

After a minute, the boat had been dragged up far enough so that it would not float away, and then the captain came up with the other pirate, the former leading the way, the latter gripping Leah's arm again as he dragged her along the passage, and not a straight one but one with twists and turns, illuminated only by Eric's lantern. After about half a minute, Leah could make out light from further on down the passage. A sharp left turn later, and she found the source. It was a huge chamber, torches placed here and there and burning brightly. From the "ceiling", which was neither too high, too low, nor even a ceiling, were various holes strewn about, scarce amounts of dying sunlight peaking through and fresh air pumping in. It seemed the air could have been much worse. From this chamber, more tunnels stretched to every side, seven of them all together, all leading in different directions to mysterious areas. Stalagmites and stalactites littered the area, but the ground was generally flat, if not dank, gray, and eerily large. Talk about the belly of the beast… It looked like the inside of a stomach, gray instead of pink and red.

There were four men here as well, sitting on a huge, coarse piece of dirty canvas to Leah's right. Well, at least the cloth was cleaner than the clammy hard-packed ground, whether only dirt or dirt atop stone Leah couldn't tell. It seemed they were having the time of their lives, these men, chugging rum and munching on stale bread. As they saw the trio enter, the men made to drunkenly stand up, but Eric motioned his hand, urging them to sit and continue their lunch. They did as obliged.

And now, as Leah examined the chamber, completely ignoring the handprint bruise that was being created on her arm, Eric did look at her. He twirled about and grinned, the lantern still held in one hand, and then he bowed, spreading his arms wide. He looked up before straightening up, his arms holding their position.

"Welcome to the Cove of Secrets," he grinned, his voice a smug, cruel purr.

Instantly, Leah froze, struck dumb by his words. He wasn't serious… He couldn't be. It was impossible. He was mad, insane, mad, _psychotic_. Without thinking, she responded.

"_What_?!"

* * *

**Fred:** Well… what'd ya think o' this chappie, Sal? 

**Me:** Pretty good, pretty good. Got some good angst in there.

**Fred:** Oh yes, and lovely character development. Some plot development too.

**Me: **Not to mention a lovely ending, a cliffhanger. We're getting into the story now.

**Fred:** Definitely. Who knows what will happen next?

**Me:** Well you.

**Fred:** True… Now, what's going to happen to our dear heroine this time…? Hmmm….

**Leah:** ….You two are sick… _sick_.

**Sara:** Go calling and email! . Now I just need to stop being lazy and email… (pokes self)

WOOOOOT POTC GIFTS! No, I'm sad to say I've gotten no such pressies, although my friend got a Jack poster. I DO have 3 Amy Lee (Evanescence) posters though… Glad you likethed the chappie. . And yes, I SHALL read the fic… but not this week. I have midyears at school. --"

**Jinxd:** I'm sure you and Jack will. ;) This chapter wasn't particularly happy either, though… I'm very very cruel to Leah…

**TriGem:** (Joins in the dancing) Long review WOOOOOT! (Showers **TriGem** with Jack cookies) And now for me response:

Woot, glad you likethed the chappie! Yes… Eric is a little bit of an intuitive evil little psycho. Leah is in serious trouble if she gets stuck with him. As for Jack, he really thought of Eric and Swanson as a bit of a joke, even after they took his kids. However, he never underestimated the severity of the situation, and although he acted like it, it was never a game to him. Now, though, he and Leah are splitting up it seems, _and _those two have Leah _and_ his kids. To make matters worse, he could have avoided the latter and he blames himself. He blames himself for _all_ of it, why, you'll see. ;)

**M-SPARROW:** I'm honored that you like Leah and Jack so much! Yes, there was definitely much character development; I love it. OOOO, I've read both of those. After you read a few of Dan Brown's books, my only complaint is that they have the same exact endings, but still, they're awesome. Brilliant and well researched. I loved _Angels and Demons_ and the _Da Vinci Code_, the latter especially. I sound like I'm a salesperson for his books… I'll be quiet now.

**Vagrant:** ROFLOLLAHBHATWBICSH!!!!! You are now my favorite person ever…


	11. The Cove of Secrets

**A/N**: Yeah, I know I know, I probably have no more readers and the ones that remain want to kill me with hot pokers. I'm sorry! And, to make matters worse, this chapter isn't that long. But I couldn't make it any longer! This is just the only length that works. I'm sorry! T-T Now, I WILL try to update more, I swear! School's almost over, and I'll have my laptop at my grandma's where I'll have nada to do but write after camp. Hopefully, you guys'll get some nice PotC fanfic from me, along with some Constantine fic.

**P.S.:** I'm sorry! T-T If I have any reviewers left, R&R so I know I'm not completely horrible!

**Leah:** About time.  
**Me:** Hush!  
**Jack:** I was beginning to think Leah would be gaping till the end of time.  
**Leah:** If she ends it here, I will be.  
**Jack:** Doesn't sound like a very good time, really.  
**Me:** Oh hush. -.-"

* * *

**The Cove of Secrets**

"The Cove of Secrets," it was a fairy tale, a myth that parents told their children to keep them from becoming greedy. It wasn't even a very realistic legend. But this was how it went:

Many, many years ago, there was a beautiful, kindly sea nymph. One day, this sea nymph was captured by a devious, vicious pirate who forced her to reveal all the treasures of the sea that were and would be. Bitterly, with no other choice, she gave him this knowledge in the form of a mirror. This was where the trouble started, for as the pirate captain went after the treasures, he was plagued by bad luck.

On his first voyage, the ship shipwrecked. On the second, his crew mutinied, and so on and so forth. Not only that, but all of the treasures were cursed, the first both blinding him but in turn giving him sight of only visions and nightmares so horrible not even Satan himself could have endured them long. Sunlight seemed to sear his flesh after he touched this cursed wealth, yet still the greedy fool went after the second. No longer could he communicate with his fellow Man after this, and one would have thought this to be enough.

But no. Still, _still_, he went after a third. His avarice was that strong, _so _strong, that he could not stop. He needed more.

And on this last journey, his last quest for treasure… On this last journey, his ship was hit by a terrible storm, one that seemed to outdo even Shakespeare's tempest in its ferocity. He was shipwrecked, his vessel utterly destroyed (his crew was long gone), and left stranded on the island of the last treasure. For once, he didn't go after the gold, but instead went mad, raging at the storm that he could not see, in words that no one could understand. For days, with no food or water, he did this, yowling and screaming like a rabid, wounded animal, hiding when the sun came out, shrieking in pain when its warm rays burned his skin. On the fourth day, in pity, the sea nymph came to him, but he was furious, unstable, his mind completely lost to the furious hurricane of his desperation, visions of fire and brimstone and demons flashing across his eyes. In a rage, he tried to kill her, but easily, she escaped.

Now, if the sea nymph had been anyone else, had been any less of a gentle, compassionate soul, she would have just left him to die then. Just left him to scream and rage until his body gave out. It was, after all, entirely his fault.

But she would not, _could not_, do that. It was not in her to be so cruel.

So she returned one day, and took the man too weak to even move to a nearby port, where the inhabitants helped him. Years later, he sought her again, and he found her. He begged her to help him, pleaded with the only being that could actually _understand_ him. He implored her to free him of his curses and remove this greedy knowledge from him. He shoved the mirror at her, sobbed at her feet. In disgust and mercy, she took the mirror from him but was unable to destroy it. Therefore, she placed it in a chest, deep within a labyrinth of caves and ocean water, a cove. The key to the chest, she also placed within the labyrinth, so that no one could conceivably find the key and then go chasing after this treasure of all treasures, a treasure that would _only_ lead to misfortune. Hopefully, now no one would ever be able to find and use it.

When she returned to the pirate, she told him that all of his ailments could very easily be removed if he just put back all the treasures he stole, every last piece of plunder… Except his power of speech; that would never, ever be returned to him. That curse would last forever, until the day that he passed away from the mortal coil and went down to spend the rest of eternity in hell.

After years of suffering and against almost-impossible odds, he finally gathered all of the treasure, and he brought each and every last piece to its original resting place. Steadily, the curses lifted, and he was able to see, able to go out into the sun, able to go one day without being plagued by daytime nightmares.

Yet he still wasn't satisfied.

He wanted to be able to communicate again, not with scribbles and hand motions and grunts but with _language_, with _words_. He was tired of being stared at, of being shunned and ridiculed and laughed at. So, once more, he sought the nymph and the cove at which she had hidden the mirror.

He found it, but the nymph could not help him. She would have, had she been able to.

But she wasn't.

What was a man in his situation to do?

For years, he wandered the caves, the nymph bringing him food and water, unable to simply leave him to his dark, dank, salty grave, even as he cursed her all the while. And in those years, he created a map of the maze, drawn in intricate detail. He found the chest, he found the key, he explored every nook and crevice and side-tunnel and dead-end of the deep, stony dark. Then, stealing the key away, he took his old, rotting boat back to shore.

He died upon reaching land, and the map and key were lost to the ages, presumably sunk into the ocean or stolen by some fool who didn't know the importance of what he had found.

And the treasure, the cursed mirror of the Cove of Secrets, was gone, lost forever. It would never be found.

This was the tale of the Cove of Secrets; it was a children's tale, nothing more. It was a story.

Yet here was Eric, telling her it was true. Here was Eric, nothing but a maniac, telling her that she was in the Cove of Secrets.

Leah was in more trouble than she had realized. If he really and truly believed that he had found the mythological Cove, home to the cursed mirror, he was completely out of touch with reality. He was _completely_ insane. And if that were the case… what would happen to her, now that Swanson was no longer there to keep him at bay? What would he do to her?

And, more importantly, what would he do to her children? What would become of John and Claire?

* * *

**TriGem:** Yeah, Eric is unstable, to say the very least. He's just a bit… mad… in every conceivable way and meaning of the word. O.o His intent wasn't exactly to send a message to Jack. It was more taking out his rage at Jack on Leah. Plus, he's bloody UNSTABLE, so there we go. Swanson sorta keeps him rooted to reality and keeps him from completely losing it. As for what Eric and Swanon want… Jack REALLY should have told Leah in the first place. A lot of this is his fault, but not the whole thing. Eric and Swanson don't have to do any of this. They're just… evil… though Jack isn't exactly making matters any better. As for what Jack's gonna do, what they're after, and alla that… you'll see (if you're still reading this, that is O.o) :P

And don't worry about ranting. I love ranting reviews. Long reviews make me happy. XD

**Xaris:** Er, well no, they're not _gay_. They're bi… but either way I don't really think that's an ew situation. O.o I'm bi meself… (Blinks)

**Neytari: **I wasn't sadistic! Just… not a very good girl. I'm sorry! Hopefully this chapter makes up for it somewhat.

**Jinxd:** LOL Sure, if Leah dies, you can have Jack, though that's a very mean way to look at it! ;) Glad you likethed me writing style, though. I'm afraid, however, things aren't going to improve very much very soon.

**M-Sparrow:** Yeek, I'm sorry for the delay! T-T I'm so very horrible at updating it's ridiculous. And I'm just lucky that my school doesn't give out homework that I can't do at midnight. :P Glad yousa likethed the character development, as I don't want my characters to be all one-dimensional. I like them believable. As for them being reunited, they will be, dontcha worry. They will see each other again.

**Kizume:** Yeah, those two need to be shot… or something… I like the oil idea. Oh yeek, midyears? O.o I'm about to take finals… I really HAVEN'T updated in forever. And so long no see, I haven't been able to use your betaing pen for this chappie! T-T It makes me very sad.

**Vagrant:** "ROFLOLLAHBHATWBICSH" means "Rolls on floor laughing out loud like a hyena bashing head at the wall but I can't stop help!" :P I learned it from my friend, might have added some more I knew in there.


End file.
